End of an Exile
by l'il pirate
Summary: Continuing the story after the credits. [KOTOR]
1. Chapter 1

Just a little something for any fans of Star Wars and KOTOR who might wonder what happens next. This is just my take on what happens after the credits have finished their dance across our screens. I don't claim to own any character but I may have changed their descriptions a little- to this BIOWARE has my apologies but I felt it was necessary.

* * *

**End of an Exile**

**Chapter One: Malachor V**

Meetra Surik… Jedi Exile and of late Mercenary for the Republic, stumbled back up the path leading into the Traya Academy from the Core. It was a long path, especially with the wounds she had but she didn't bother to administer a medpack. She'd need the last pack at some point between here and the ship, considering all the Stormbeasts she had neglected to kill on the way here. Besides, there wasn't time. She had told Bao-Dur to activate the Mass Shadow Generator at 2200 hours if she was on board or not. The time had been set, she glanced at the countdown displayed on the small display panel on her gauntlet, winking at her through the dim panel lighting in the endless grey corridors.

The academy was now empty, making the going quite a much easier trek then her arrival had been but as she pushed out the large main doors and came upon the dark bridge leading back out into the poisoned world, Meetra's feet slowed. She leaned heavily upon the door and thought about her last medpack with desire. She held her side, now pinched in pain, a moment before dropping her hand to the deep laceration on her leg. Blood oozed from the merciless slice through the durosteel platting on her thigh, and seeped through her fingers. She'd almost wished it had been a lightsaber wound, if it had, at least there wouldn't be blood. Unfortunately she wasn't that lucky.

Raising her eyes from her wounds, she gazed out at the murky light coming up from the cracks in the surface. Electrical storms flashed unnatural light night across the sky, yet again foreshadowing the undeniable end of this world.

_Good riddance_. Meetra thought to herself. _You should have died a long time ago__…__ so should of I._

Then, when Meetra was just ready to sink to her knees and let this world claim her as it should have ten years ago, an unusually close bolt of energy lit up the sky high above her and gave away a familiar rust-coloured figure contrasted against the grey stone of Malachor's landscape standing at the end of the bridge.

Meetra wasn't sure if she was angry or grateful to see his seemingly lightweight sprint towards her. His ion cannon moving with ease as his long stride covered a good meter with each step. Meetra pulled herself up a little straighter and wiped the sweat from her brow with her burnt and blistered hand.

"HK, what the hell are you doing here?" She hissed with a tone she'd never used with him before. "I told you to stay on the ship with the others. You're suppose to be helping them repair the ship."

"_Haughty declaration_: I am NOT a mechanic. My function is elite combat, to be carried out in any form you require Master, and nothing less." HK-47 told her, as he shouldered his ion cannon. "_Confident justification:_ The protocol droid and meatbags are capable with repairs. I have been assured our vessel will be repaired and prepped for our departure from this desolate wasteland, upon our arrival."

Meetra nodded, holding her side as she motioned for HK to move out. As she did, she glanced at the countdown again and frowned. Ten minutes. They'd never make it.

"How did you find me?" Meetra asked, gritting her teeth as she forced the countdown out of her mind.

"_Proud reply_: You were easily followed, the carnage you left in your wake was an impressive sight." HK responded. " Whichever creatures remained I slaughtered while you slew the Sith meatbag."

Meetra shot HK a grateful, if not proud, smile. "You killed _all_ the Stormbeasts on your own?"

"_Disappointed retort_: You do not believe me, Master?"

"Oh no. _I do_. Out of anyone crazy enough to take those things on single-handedly, you're the only one who could do it." Meetra amended, almost amused by her assassin droid's quirks.

Everyone said it was imperative to maintain a droid's mechanics in check and to avoid personalization or humanization, with proper memory wipes, but Meetra liked the individualism of her droids.

"Just don't brag that I've said that. I don't think the others would… appreciate it."

"_Loyal declaration_: If you wish it, I will not. Although the affirmation warms my circuitry." He replied, trotting alongside her easily.

Meetra had easily navigated through the maze of surface passageways at first, but now she was beginning to slow. Beginning to second-guess her choices on a route. Her face was growing hot, her hands trembled, she could feel her body weakening at an alarming rate. Much more so then it already was. She was going into shock from her wounds, the blood loss, and she knew it. Meetra reached for her last medpack then stopped and glanced at the countdown again, she didn't even know why they were even bothering to find the ship. They'd never make it in time.

"_Impatient reminder_: Master, we do not have time. The Iridoian is scheduled to activate the-"

"I know. I know." Meetra replied through clenched teeth, injecting a stamina stim through the plates of metal on her armour. "I need you to take lead HK. Can you find your way from here?"

"_Smug affirmation_: Of course."

"Then lead on."

HK looked at her for a moment, apparently unsure of her order.

"I'll keep up." She told him, forcing herself to hide her weakening state.

HK needed little prompting after that. He trotted off, with the same spring in his step as always, forcing her to follow as best she could. It wasn't easy either but as soon as the stim entered her bloodstream she _was_ able to pick up the pace and stick close to her metal companion. The rest of the run back to the ship, Meetra gritted her teeth, called on the Force with all her strength and kept her hazy eyes focussed on HK's back. She hoped he knew where he was going because she was quickly loosing her grip on reality as well as any sense of time… and direction.

. . .

From the moment Meetra left the crumpled Ebon Hawk to confront the last survivor of the Sith Trimulative, and end it's vindictive threat, Atton took full control of their exit strategy. The escape plan that would, if they had any luck left whatsoever, grant them their lives. The Ebon Hawk was heavy damaged from their less then stellar landing on Malachor's surface but with the constant planetary shifts, it was quickly about to become nothing more then a useless crushed heap of metal.

He had hoped the responsibility would help to distract him from the fact that Meetra had disappeared out on the surface alone. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver everything he had expected. Nor did the stress of responsibility he had suddenly thrust upon him, distract him from the _bad feeling _he had gnawing at his insides.

Like always, a bad feeling where Meetra was concerned was a hard thing to shake but it was only intensified thanks to the fact that all communication lines were down. Individual comms, the Hawk's computers or even sensors… all were out completely. All thanks to the magnetic field around the dieing planet. Atton was convinced his ulcers were doubling in severity at each quarter hour interval, as there continued to be no word.

"Mira! How's the engines?" Atton questioned, hanging down from the level above.

"Stop asking me every five minutes and I might be able to make some progress!" Mira growled from within the floor panels. "Hyprospanner!"

Atton frowned. He knew he got irritated when he was stressed but Mira was a whole different story all together. Which was saying a lot, because he was the one who knew how to manipulate the Force and she couldn't. At least, he hadn't seen her pick up a saber yet.

Atton grabbed the hyprospanner from the toolbox and handed it down to her grease smeared hand.

In a moment her face appeared in the dingy hole in the floor, catching the light from above. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and grabbed another part as he handed it to her, wordlessly. She frowned anxiously at his tense expression.

"Any sign of her?"

Atton shook his head, as the muscles in his jaw flexed tensely. "No. Just focus on those engines. I've got to check in with the engine room."

Atton pulled himself up and out of the access hatch. The Hawk was heavy damaged inside, as well as out, so with the some of the corridors blocked he had to take the long way around from the cargo hold to get to the engine room. Passing through the main hold, he found Mandalore working on the center console but didn't bother to question him, nor did the Clan Leader acknowledge him. He had more important things to worry about then question what he was working on… which for him meant asking if he was trying to help them get off this deadly chunk of rock.

Atton passed the medbay, heading for Bao-Dur in the engine room, and frowned at Mical within. He for one, would be glad to see the end of this Republic Agent at the end of this day… _if they lived, that is_.

"Hey, what's the verdict up here?" Atton questioned, hanging his head into the engine room.

Bao-Dur removed his welding goggles and glanced at the hyperdrive. "We should be up and running in…"

Suddenly the engines purred quietly. Atton heaved a sigh. They had power. _Finally_. Bao-Dur smiled but didn't remove his hands from the console. T3 beeped loudly and continued working in the open power console. The purring engines grew steadily louder, until their steady rise in power levelled off to their normal hum.

"Nicely done." Bao-Dur complimented his workmate, only to receive the same compliment in return.

"Are we good to go?" Atton questioned, interrupting the complimentary camaraderie.

Bao-Dur turned from the left engine to the right. Checking power flow and distribution. He frowned.

"We still don't have enough power to fire the hyperdrive, or even to bring it online, but we should be able to clear the atmosphere."

"_We_ _should_?" Atton repeated, heavily accented with scepticism. That did not sound promising.

T3 chirped agitatedly.

"What?" Atton demanded, looking from the cargo cylinder to Bao-Dur as he stopped his work. He didn't like the sound of that.

"T3's right." He told Atton with regret. "I must start the countdown."

Atton frowned, waving his hand dismissively. "No. Not yet."

"The General told us to Atton. I have to obey her order." Bao-Dur responded forcibly.

"Just give her more time."

"If we do, we won't clear the atmosphere. The planet is already experiencing severe tectonic shifts. Toxic gasses are moving up from the core. It's unstable. We cannot delay, or _we will all die_." Bao-Dur explained regrettably.

Atton opened his mouth to reply, he'd rather die then leave Meetra behind, but Bao-Dur stopped him with a sympathetic affirmation.

"I would as well, Atton, but we have an obligation to the remaining crew _and_ _the Republic_. We must return to Telos. The General ordered us to… she'd expect it."

Atton frowned dimly. He was right, of course, but he didn't have to admit it. It felt like betrayal, to run this time. He didn't want to, none of them did, not when they had followed her this far. They… _he__…_ wanted to protect her but he couldn't deny the voice in the back of his mind.

_How do you know she__'__s even still alive?_

"Mira!" Atton stuck his head out of the engine room and yelled towards her, where she was holed up working under the cargo hold floor panels.

"Shutta?" Mira yelled back, tauntingly, her voice reaching him through the half-collapsed corridor.

Atton gritted his teeth. "Bao-Dur's got the engines running hot, hit the coupling!"

"Roger that flyboy!" Mira returned.

Atton tucked his head back in the engine room, just in time to witness the entire room aglow with power. It wasn't full but it would have to be enough. T3 chirped pleasantly and Bao-Dur grinned, heaving a great sigh.

"One job done. We need to tackle the navcomputer next." He said then as he packed up his tools.

"How far will we get without it?" Atton questioned. He had the routes memorized but he'd never jumped to hyperspace without it.

"Not far."

"Will we clear the blast?"

T3 beeped rapidly, causing Bao-Dur to frown.

"There's no guarantee." He roughly translated. "If there's any complications with the planet…"

Atton wiped his hands over his face in frustration.

If they didn't start the countdown now and took off, putting as much distance between them and the planet they'd hopefully clear the blast but they'd leave Meetra behind. If they didn't get the navcomputer online, they wouldn't be able to make the jump to hyperspace and they'd get caught in the collapsing planet's gravitational pull. If they waited for Meetra and worked on the navcomputer the planet would crush them before they even had the chance to take off.

"Atton."

Atton turned, stepped out into the corridor as Visas approached from the starboard dormitory. He hadn't seen her since they left Telos.

"They approach. I suggest we prepare for departure."

Atton cursed under his breath, unsure if he was more grateful or relieved to hear those words. He turned immediately and ran towards the cockpit. It was time to go.

"Bao-Dur!"

"On it!" Bao-Dur yelled after him then turned from T3 to Visas. "Come T3. I suggest you strap in Master Jedi."

"Agreed Iradonian." Visas replied and was gone without another word.

Atton jogged through the main hold towards the cockpit, passing Mandalore who was still working as he went.

"Mandalore. Up top, they're on their way." Atton ordered without so much as a glance in his direction.

It didn't matter because Mandalore obeyed the order as if it had been his own, leaving Atton to worry about one thing only. _Getting them off this bloody chuck of dead rock._

Atton had the ship prepped for take-off within minutes of receiving the order to set it up. They didn't have much power and the ship was heavily damaged, but he wasn't concerned about that at the moment, he was watching the planet's surface shift and crack outside the observation window. His instruments on the console were screaming various warnings at him, concerning the instability of the planet, but he didn't need a computer to tell him that.

Whether it was because of the Generator powering up or that the planet was simply dieing on it's own, he wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to stick around long enough to find out. He rerouted nonessential systems and added as much power to the engines as he could. The lights in the cockpit dimmed, but the power levels rose and it made him breathe _a little _easier.

"Atton."

Atton gritted his teeth at the sound of Mical's philosophically condescending tone. He didn't mean it, it was theman's_ voice _but at this moment he didn't care. The disciple had chosen the wrong time to come and play diplomat. He could of thought he might just want to help but Atton knew him better then that. The only reason he was here now was Meetra. That much, Atton knew.

"Would you get the hell out of my cockpit!" Atton growled, not even trying to sound the least bit civil. "I am a little too busy to waste my time on you."

"I understand that, but I would like to-"

"Not now!" Atton shouted, cursing the console as it shrieked another warning. "Go make yourself completely useless somewhere else."

"Is the Generator primed?" Mical demanded, ignoring Atton completely.

Atton ignored all the warnings blaring across the console and turned in his chair. His face was completely blank. _Who had told him? Was that the point of his mission? _Mical read, if not sensed Atton's dangerous disapproval but continued regardless.

"You karking trai-" Atton threatened, dangerously quiet. _He was a spy!_

Once again, Mical ignored him. "Admiral Onasi must be apprised of our situation."

"Yeah well, good luck with that." Atton snapped, turning back to the console as Mira stumbled into the cockpit, narrowly missing running into Mical. "We're still on Malachor, in case you're blind, and we won't have communications back until we've cleared the blast."

"There must be-"

"Stow it Republic." Mira scowled, slipping into the co-pilots seat, sand glanced at Atton as she slipped on her headset. "We've got the droid and the Exile. Time to get the hell out of here."

"I'll return to the medbay." Mical vowed and in an instant he was gone.

"Yeah, you do that." Atton snarled and took hold of the controls as Mira strapped herself in.

"What was that all about?" She questioned, bringing her own console online. "Our Disciple going all noble again?"

Atton lifted the Hawk off the surface of Malachor, slowly. He didn't even look at Mira but he didn't need to. All he had to focus on was getting them out of here. She knew how he felt about the Republic Spy, he could tell she felt the same, but for very different reasons.

"Let's just focus on surviving this problem before tackle the next problem with the galaxy, hmm?"

Mira didn't reply. The spires of Malachor, the rock towers and hills, outside the observation window were beginning to crumble around them. Atton cursed and directed the Hawk through the maze but it was difficult to keep ahead of them all. The ship rocked and the stones stuck the hull but it did little more damage then a Sith Glider.

They flew erratically for a few minutes, trying to dodge as many falling spires as they could, until finally a clear section of sky appeared before them and Atton took his chance. Atton pulled back on the controls, turning the Hawk's nose to the sky and the entire ship strained under the sudden sharp climb for the stars but she did everything Atton told her to.

"Power levels down to forty percent! If you keep this up we won't have enough to clear the blast!" Mira yelled across the cockpit, the engine's power surge growing louder as they continued to climb. "Level out!"

"She can handle it!" Atton snapped. "We don't have time to fly casual!"

Mira cursed at him but didn't argue, she just held fast to her chair and endured the strain her body was under. Within several minutes they cleared the atmosphere and headed out into the asteroid field surrounding Malachor V.

"How's the hyperdrive?" Atton questioned, still not venturing to breath easy… _not yet_.

"We need more time." Mira responded, typing furiously on the console before her.

"We don't have it." Atton growled. "I need it online NOW."

Mira was silent for a sickeningly long time as seconds slowly crawled by.

"MIRA!"

Mira opened her mouth to disappoint him but suddenly the console before her flashed an approving colour and display, causing her whole body's anxiety to relax. Furiously she adjusted more controls then hung on.

"Hit it!"

Atton's jaw tensed as he laid his hand on the controls. The course was already laid in but none of them could perfectly predict what was going to happen. They'd die here, now, or not at all. Atton initiated the hyperdrive and held his breath.

. . .

_White lights. Harsh white lights. Hands. Voices. Shadows. Blinking lights. Low hum. Warmth. Pulling, tugging. Pressure. Pain. _

_So much pain._

_Heat. Radiating. Searing. Gnawing. Muscle. Tissue. Every fibre. Bone. Blood. Hot metallic smell._

_Noise. Voices. Murmurs. Moans. Pressure. White lights._

_Pain. More pain._

_A pin prick. Shadows__…__ everything shadows. Then__…_

_Nothing._

_. . ._

With the ship safely in hyperspace and on route towards Telos once again, Atton left his solitary watch in the cockpit for the security room. He wanted nothing more then to be asleep like everyone else, right now, but there were some things that he didn't trust the droids to take care of… regardless if they had practically just been the biggest factor in saving all their lives or not.

Atton sat down in one of the chairs and checked the power levels, distributaries and vital systems. For _his own peace of mind, if nothing more._ The Ebon Hawk had sustained a considerable amount of damage, both from Malachor and their escape but she was soldiering on like the rest of them. Out of all the ships Atton had ever flown, this one was one of a kind. It was old but it was one hell of a ship. He was convinced that, had they used any other during these past few months, they'd never made it past the Peragus asteroid field.

Sitting back, Atton rubbed his face and exhaled a strained sigh. Very simply, _he was exhausted_. He glanced across at the security feed of the ship's cameras. Everyone was resting, if that meant sleeping or meditating he didn't care but he wasn't going to do either. Not yet. They had all earned some good '_R and R__'_but as Atton's eyes lingered on the feed from the medbay, he was reminded why he sat where he did instead of slept in the dormitory.

Meetra laid motionless on the medbay cot. Still wearing the tight fitting under-robe she'd worn beneath her battle armour, which had been adorned with ion charges and lightsaber burns. Her skin was an ash grey, instead of it's usual luminescent tan. Atton's chest rose and fell slowly. He wanted nothing more then to go to the medbay, tell Mical to take a hike and sit with her until she found her way back to him, _to the land of the conscious_, but he denied himself. The same as he had denied himself that pleasure for the past three hours.

Instead, Atton reached out with the Force and touched her mind. She didn't respond, but he hadn't thought she would. He only wanted to be sure the Disciple was right and she was ok. He sensed her mind, not oblivious to the residual pain she was still in, but was pleased when he found positive signs of body's response to her unconsciousness. As she slept her body was working to repair itself. He was relieved.

Although he still wouldn't leave to go and see her, to worry over her in person, Atton was grateful. Finally Meetra was free. The claim the Sith had over her was over. Kreia and her twisted beliefs of Meetra had been severed. The Republic would without a doubt revoke her Exile status. She was a Jedi again, a true Jedi to the core. He was proud of her.

Atton on the other hand was a little less convinced all endings had been the ideal ones. Sure, the suicide mission was over and he was free of the old witch's blackmail but he had no idea what to do now. _What was next_? He was now one of the people he had hunted, for years. He didn't know if he could truly put that past behind him. He had hoped he could but… they were high standards to live up to.

Atton sighed. Whatever happened, he was looking forward to a long vacation from saving the galaxy before he had to seriously decide. Atton smiled, allowing Meetra to feel his concern and pleasure this madness was over before he withdrew and returned to his seat in the cockpit. A little long overdue shuteye was in order. They'd arrive at the nearest space station in a few hours and the cargo cylinder could take care of things until then. As much as he didn't like or trust the trash compactor, he didn't care right now. All he wanted was to be back on that little space station again sleeping off a serious celebratory hangover.

* * *

: First chapter done. Stay tuned for the next.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Reborn**

_ Meetra opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by a bright white light. She didn__'__t hear or see anything that resembled the Ebon Hawk, nor could she remember anything besides seeing HK-47 waiting for her outside the Trayus Academy. She looked herself over, taking note of the lack of evidence she had just been in battle. There had been blaster charges on her armour, her hands had been rough and she remembered a pain in her side but now found there was none. None of any of it. She wasn__'__t a weightless entity of the Force either, glowing or transparent, so she couldn__'__t be dead. And yet she didn__'__t have her lightsaber or any effects which would have told her she was alive. What had happened to her?_

_ Meetra looked around. There was nothing in which she could identify, nothing to focus on or conclude a location. Everything was white, visionless, but she was standing on something hard. She couldn__'__t hear anything but the blood pulsing through her head, past her eardrums. Where the hell was she? She couldn__'__t be dead__…__ could she? Maybe this was some kind of limbo before she became one with the Force. Maybe that was why she couldn__'__t remember anything__…__ why she couldn__'__t explain where she was. _

_*You are not dead, Meetra.*_

_ Meetra turned quickly, the sound of a man__'__s voice filling her mind, and caught sight of one standing a short distance away. He hadn__'__t been there a moment ago and yet something about his sudden appearance didn__'__t cause her any fear. He was dressed in the robes of a Jedi, and although they were more black then brown, they were the familiar garb of the Jedi all the same. From what she could see at this distance, as well, they accented his looks very well. Meetra narrowed her eyes, her brain still fuzzy as to what was going on. She did not recognize him at all, yet he knew her name, causing her to wonder if she _should_ recognize him._

_*Who are you? Why have you brought me here?* _

_*I did not bring you here. I found you here.* The man replied, his voice accented by a smile. *As to _your _question of who am I, I won__'__t be offended__…__ it has been a long time.*_

_Meetra strained her eyes against the bright white light as the man approached her slowly. She watched him carefully, her mind telling to her be ready for anything but as the man finally came close enough so his face was not obstructed by the intense glow from the white surroundings Meetra dropped all her mental defences._

_*Revan?* She breathed, __suddenly feeling weak with astonishment. __*How__…__ I thought__…__*_

_Revan smiled, causing his green eyes to flash with brilliance. _

_*No, I__'__m not dead either.* He told her, knowing her thoughts. *It__'__s good to see you, Meetra.*_

_ Meetra couldn__'__t help but smile at him. Revan. It was so good to see him too. It had been too long since she had seen him, and even longer since she had spoken to him. Yes, she had seen the __HOLOVIDS__ of his defeat of Malak but that wasn__'__t the same as__…__ speaking with him. She hadn__'__t heard any news of him since then either, since his disappearance. She had always expected him to come back and yet years passed and there was no word. Never even a believable rumour._

_ Meetra had never known Revan like her Master__'__s had, she had known him as a warrior and a leader not a rebellious student. She had never thought of him as anything else, even when he fell to the dark side. Even if it killed her to helplessly watch him fall, she still had believed in him as the amazing strategist he was. He had been a friend and mentor who believed in her despite her youth and inexperience. That had meant everything to her back then._

_ She had followed him to war when Alek came to Dantooine to call for aid in fighting against the Mandalorians. She had gone willingly, and ever since that day she had continued to follow him loyally. Soon, Meetra rose in Revan__'__s army and as a result she developed a bond with the Revanchist leader who inspired millions. It was never like the bond he would eventually form with the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan but it was fuelled by a respect and trust like no other. Meetra had fought the entire war at Revan__'__s side, being considered his most trusted General next to Alek. She valued that position. However, she had never thought she would see him again after Malachor__…__ although she had hoped__…__ then after he disappeared three years ago__…_

_*You have no idea how good it is to see you.* Meetra replied honestly, actually sounding rather breathless to be faced with him after so long. _

_Revan smiled. He understood her completely. It had been far too long since they had spoken. Far too long they, both friend and fellow soldier, had been apart. Torn from each other by uncontrollable events._

_*Where are we?* Meetra inquired then, glancing around. *__…__If we__'__re not dead__…__*_

_*No, we are not. You are on the Ebon Hawk, unconscious but alive, thankfully. You__'__re recovering from your wounds after defeating Darth Sion and Traya.* Revan explained. *And as for me, I am far from there, speaking to your subconscious through the Force.*_

_*That__'__s new.* Meetra remarked under her breath, causing Revan to smirk. *Through the__…__ how is that possible? Over _such a distance_? It feels hazy__…__ like a dream.*_

_*For you in a sense it is but for me it is much different.* Revan replied *It is a new technique I__'__ve learnt that is easy to control, like a form of telepathy, but over such a distance it is at the same time__…__ much different. It requires great effort and concentration, coupled with one__'__s full affinity to the Force.*_

_*Is it painful?* Meetra questioned, concerned by that statement. She knew of techniques that were highly sought after and valuable but the majority of them most often did great harm to the user should they be uncontrolled or prolonged. *I would never pass up an opportunity to see and speak to you again but if it means causing you harm, just to speak to me, I don__'__t want-*_

_*I__'__d forgotten how easily you can rattle on.* Revan interrupted, giving her a smile. *I think I missed it even.* _

_*Revan* Meetra warned, but truly was touched beyond words for his comment. Touched to see and hear a Revan she had known so long ago, before the end of the war drew near. _

_*Don__'__t worry about me. Pain is only a relative. For every few minutes we speak here, only seconds pass in real time.* Revan explained, easing her mind greatly. *It has become my only means to reach anyone outside of this region, though, so I must use it.*_

_*Where are you? The last anyone heard you disappeared, rumoured to have left for the Unknown Regions.*_

_*Those rumours were not entirely__…_unfounded_. I did leave.*_

_*You- __…__Why?*_

_*That is why I am going to such lengths to contact you.* Revan replied, choosing to ignore the __'__why__'__ for now._

_*Me? Why me, why not the Counsel?*_

_*I could not. The dissolving of the Counsel made it difficult for anyone to find Jedi. The Purge that followed only intensified such a difficulty to locate any surviving members of the Counsel.* Revan explained._

_*Yes of course.* Meetra frowned. She should have thought._

_*Besides, they did not sanction my disappearance after the Star Forge was destroyed. I would not be surprised, _if I could find any remaining member, _that_ _they too held to the widespread belief that I am a flight risk.* Revan shook his head regretfully._

_*They can__'__t believe that. _Not everyone_. You saved them. You redeemed yourself.* Meetra urged. *How can they just ignore that? How could the Republic?*_

_*They erased my memories, Meetra. When I could have used them to help this galaxy. Then when I remembered pieces, when some of those memories surfaced, they denied me the support to find the threat in the Unknown Regions. To put an end to it, once and for all. The Republic supported that decision.* Revan frowned, passionately defending himself._

_*I thought you had to go alone. I thought you chose that.* Meetra replied, taken back._

_Revan frowned. He had given everything up to prove it to the Counsel__…__ the Republic__…__ and they had still refused him. In everyone__'__s eyes he was still Darth Revan. A risk, just waiting for an opportunity to be unleashed again. No. He had been _forced_ to go alone. He was glad in the end, because of where if brought him __though__. He would not of wanted anyone else to be with him__…__ where he was now. _

_*No. I was forced to walk this path alone.* He replied, creating great emotional distance between them with just one statement. *But, even then, I cannot deny I require aid Meetra. That__'__s why I found you.*_

_*__But__ how?* She questioned, still questioning it. *__…_How_ did you find me?*_

_*We have always been close. Always retaining that bond we forged when we first met, but during the war it only grew stronger. Because of that bond, it seemed to make your mind more accessible to both find and access. I took advantage of that opportunity.*_

_*__What about your companions after the war? The ones who travelled with you when you took on the Star Forge?* Meetra questioned. *The Jedi who went with you, Jolee or Bastila? After everything that happened, she __deserves to know you__'__re alive, surely.*_

_*I can__'__t Meetra.* Revan replied firmly without a hitch. *There is too much at stake if I go through her.*_

_*But-* How was she any different then __them, then Bastila__?_

_*I know Darth Traya told you about me and the Unknown Regions.* Revan explained, skipping ahead__…__ away from the subject of Bastila. *I had tried to contact you before but I could not feel you in the Force until after your defeat of Darth Nihilus. I could sense you but you were always __there__…__ just _out of focus.*

_*It was difficult to stay centered.*_

_*As I had expected, so I waited and tried to contact you after, even before now, before Malachor but I could not__…__ there were too many voices on that planet.*_

_*But why look for _me_?*_

_*I knew you were still affiliated with the Republic, even though those ties had been strained.*_

_Meetra couldn__'__t deny that. She _was_ tied to the Republic, at least more then any other faction, but she didn__'__t understand Revan__'__s concerns._

_*The Republic must gain it__'__s footing Meetra. If it crumbles now, all we have fought for will be lost with little chance for recovery.* Revan continued firmly. *There is a threat beyond the edges of our galaxy that could mean the end of _everything_ we__'__ve known. The Core Worlds _must_ be protected. The Jedi _must_ be restored to the galaxy. _You _need to restore them.*_

_*Me?* Meetra scoffed. *An Exile?*_

_*You have already done much to set the plan in motion. You began your journey alone and now you travel with nine companions, four Jedi and more with great potential. You trained them without help from anyone. You were conditioned for this Meetra.*_

_*Only because I had the benefit of your training.* Meetra responded devotedly. *Everyone knows what a great Jedi you were__…_and continue to be_.*_

_ Revan smiled, setting his eyes to flashing brilliantly once again. Seeing this familiar look again, Meetra had no doubts in the tale of Revan and how he had amassed such a crew of misfits without any aid and taken down the Star Forge. Yes, Revan had been a Sith Lord but when Bastila brought him back from that dark void they had accomplished much good. Together with their companions they had saved the galaxy. She knew she couldn__'__t deny him, as everyone had been unable to years ago, but she wasn__'__t convinced she was the best one for the task. _

_*I appreciate that but I am not the one who is able to take on this task. I cannot return now.* Revan told her soothingly. *It__'__s up to you.*_

_*Surely there__'__s someone else?* _

_*Others will come in time but _you will be _the one to start this movement. You need to return to Dantooine and gather Jedi once again, rebuild the legacy of the Jedi, build an army__…__ we will need one when the time comes.* Revan returned. *This is vital, Meetra. You followed me, you commanded armies, inspired thousands__…_you can _do it again.*_

_Meetra took a breath and reluctantly gave him a nod, she could not deny him. She never could. *Alright, but what about you?*_

_*I will stay where I am and learn as much as I can. It might be of use to you.* He answered her. *We will only survive the coming fight with the best of defences. There is much here that will be of use to us.*_

_*There__'__s nothing I__…__ or anyone can do to help you there?*_

_*No. I will contact you when I can Meetra, but it will not be for some time. I am already jeopardizing my location in reaching out to you.* Revan replied. _

_*I understand.* Meetra responded meekly. _

_She wanted to speak to Revan about everything that had happened since Malachor but she held her tongue. She did not want to exhaust him, or to expose him to any enemies. It would be better if they just said goodbye and went their separate ways, as before._

_*Meetra*_

_*Yes?*_

_*We never spoke about the aftermath of Malachor__…__ when you were before Malak and I__…__ the others all turning away from the Code__…__ their training__…__* Revan frowned, clearly reading her thoughts. *I know I have a lot to answer for but I just want you to know that, _that_ was not easy for me. Standing there before you after that battle.*_

_*Why? You spared me. You could have easily killed me for defying __you, for __not following to the Dark Side.*_

_*Malak wanted me to. I won__'__t deny that. As the new Sith leader I should __have. I would have had you been anyone else but you were not a threat. You were a Jedi yes, but you were one who was _already_dead. There was no sense to waste energy on something that was not a threat.* Revan explained, pained by both his brutal honesty and the memory of that moment still after so many years. *I wanted you to return to the Counsel and show them the hypocrisy of their teachings__…__ I never wanted to hurt you.*_

_ Meetra __held__her tongue and her accompanying surprise__. She had never known that. She had gone back to the Counsel and _she had _defended him, _she had _voiced her opinions, her disgust with the Counsel for not helping the innocent when they were guardians of peace__. She had been angry at them all for not seeing the truth of her words__…__ of Revan__'__s course of self-sacrifice and all that it cost him. All that it cost them all. So with one last defiant act, she shoved her __saber into the center stone. She had been thereby branded an Exile of the Jedi. She had done it all, never realizing it was _his_ wish. Never realizing _it was Revan_ who had set her on this path. It had been his plan all along since standing before her after Malachor. _

_*You knew they would Exile me?* She asked, incredulously._

_*__I had __hoped they would.*_

_*Why?* Meetra breathed. __She felt like her entire world had been built on ashen tiles and rain had begun to fall, crumbling the helpless world she__'__d fought to weave into existence._

_*Because if you were no longer a Jedi you would not have been a target. You would have been forgotten and left to live out your life in whatever way you chose.* Revan explained. *After Malachor I didn__'__t want you to see battle anymore. After seeing what it had already done to you.*_

_Meetra held her breath. *You made sure they Exiled me so I could be safe from you and your new Sith?*_

_Revan frowned. *I hoped as much.*_

_*But why? I thought by that time you had fallen to the Dark Side.*_

_*You say that as if I had become a monster.* Revan replied with a __slight smirk. *I was still the man I was before, only with__…_broadened horizons_.*_

_Meetra looked at him with uncertainty. She__'__d heard the rumours swirling during the Jedi Civil War. She__'__d never wanted to believe it but it was hard not to when the evidence was staring you in the face. _

_*I know my words might sound weak, considering all that__'__s happened, but I did not kill needlessly, Meetra.* Revan continued, counselling her on her scepticism. *That __was Malak. _He_ lost control, lost sight of everything we had worked for. I was able to maintain control, I kept the infrastructure of the galaxy intact. I did not want the Republic to fall simply so I could control it.*_

_*You were unifying it. Strengthening it because of what you saw in the Unknown Regions, after Malachor.* Meetra added, finally understanding what Mical had told her weeks before._

_*Exactly. The same applied to you. I was still conscious of my feelings for you, of our bond. I knew you were not a threat but could be useful _in time_. Not for the Sith then but for something greater. So I preserved you. By ensuring your Exile I knew you would survive the coming Purge.*_

_*So I was a sleeper, just waiting for the command to rise and strike an unsuspecting target?*_

_*Exactly.* Revan replied with a slight smirk. She knew him well. *And you did well, as I knew you would.*_

_*And all this time I never knew. All this time I thought the Counsel had Exiled me when actually it was you.* Meetra murmured. *Why didn__'__t you ever tell me?*_

_*Because.* Revan began then frowned slightly as the white glow around them dulled. *I was waiting, _hoping_, for __this. This__opportunity. This __rebuilding of the Jedi Order is what you were meant for. You have limitless potential, Meetra, never forget that.*_

_Meetra looked around as the light began to dull again. *What__'__s going on?*_

_*I__'__m loosing the needed strength to maintain the link.* Revan frowned as the light grew slowly yet steadily weaker._

_Meetra met Revan__'__s eyes and smiled reluctantly. *You__'__d better go now then.*_

_Revan frowned. _I'm sorry.

_*Don__'__t be. I__'__m just glad to know you__'__re alive.* Meetra smiled, __reading his eyes__. *__…__ and to know the truth now about me and my Exile.*_

_*Everything I did then was to protect you.*_

_*I know that now.* She smiled lightly. *Thank you Revan.*_

_Revan nodded. *May the Force be with you Meetra Surik.*_

_*And with you, Revan. __Please be __careful.*_

_Revan smirked and with that last image of him Meetra was swept up in darkness._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Catching Up**

The darkness, lasting only seconds, ended as Meetra's senses in the real world returned. The low humm of the hyperdrive, the ticks in the engine coils, the whirring of T3 moving about the ship. Everything came back wafting into focus, to her senses before she even opened her eyes. When she did urge her eyes open, however, Meetra found herself in the small medbay aboard the Ebon Hawk. She was alone and of that she was grateful. Shifting her body upwards on her elbows, she glanced down at herself and found that she was still dressed in her tight fitting catsuit that served as an under-robe for her heavier armour. No doubt to have better access to her wounds, as well as to make her as comfortable as possible.

As soon as Meetra sat up fully, blood rushed to her head, immediately an uneasy feeling gripping her with icy fingers but she pushed through and thankfully it subsided a moment later. She glanced across the room to the wall of blinking lights and medical instruments and, old habits hard to break, she decided to check up on herself.

She didn't remember anything after finding HK waiting for her on the surface after all and she wanted to know what had happened between then and now. So, sensing no signs of Mical, the resident medic, returning soon to give an explanation, she decided to provide herself with her own.

Slipping off the cot onto her feet with tentative care, Meetra padded over the wall and called up her file on the screen. Once opened, all her information was displayed before her over several consoles... everything from history, to treatments to medical records and recent vitals.

From what she read, she was veritably healed now, although being slightly unsteady on her feet and stiff. She had suffered several serious wounds and a couple dozen minor ones. From the notes on her file, it was believed that the majority of her wounds had been both intensified, from her lack of medpack use and overuse of stims, as well as aggravated by it.

Meetra sheepishly ignored that note on her file and perused the other information. She knew she shouldn't of overused stims but what was she going to do when she hadn't the time to bring enough medpacks? Meetra ignored the begging question and focused on the positive. Her vitals were back to normal and she had lived through the second, _and last_, visit to Malachor V.

Meetra then scrolled through the treatments and found that there had been a healing trance administered, as per Mical's advice. She wasn't surprised, given the wounds she'd suffered and the lack of professional medical attention available to them. A healing trance was their best option and thankfully Mical had subjected a great deal of time learning all he could about them.

Meetra wrapped her arms around her torso, willing her not to think of the times during the war when she had been forced to endure her first few encounters with healing trances. They, most often then not, were wickedly painful. Considering you were healing wounds that would have normally taken months to remedy, in a matter of minutes… she wasn't surprised. Whatever the discomfort they did do the trick and Meetra was not angry for Mical to suggest and perform it on her.

Continuing to scroll through the vitals displayed on the screen, after reading all she wished to on her treatments, Meetra's eyes fixed on an anomaly displayed on the continuing monitoring of her vitals. The computer had recorded an 80% spike in her brain activity two minutes before she gained consciousness. It was sudden, not veritable reason for it's appearance on the monitor so Meetra clicked on it, opening a drag down menu that would normally explain such an occurrence but the explanation was blank.

Meetra stared at the blank explanation a moment before a slow smile leaked onto her lips. Revan. This had been when Revan contacted her, when they had spoke. It wasn't a dream. Although she had been medically unconscious, the Force had enabled her subconscious to communicate with him, thus… the 80% spike in her brain activity.

Meetra was tempted to strike that anomaly from the record, much rather liking the idea of keeping her moment with Revan private, but before she could give it a serious thought Meetra sensed someone approach. She turned towards the open door just as Atton appeared from the corridor with a bag slung over his shoulder. His face had been creased into a frown, his eyes rimmed with fatigue, but as soon as he saw Meetra standing on her own two feet, a lopsided smile appeared on his face in more ways then one.

"Meetra."

"Hey." Meetra replied lightly, turning back for the cot and settling herself back down upon it.

"How are you feeling?" Atton questioned gently as set the bag he carried on the end of the cot, all the while giving her a concerned once over.

Meetra offered a tired smirk, her gratitude to see him here safe and sound making it unable to keep the smile at bay.

"Been better."

"No kidding. That healing trance of Blondies' looked like a kiffin' murglack." He frowned.

Meetra opened her mouth to make some question about how much he had witnessed when she'd been taken on board but she knew he hadn't been there. He'd been where he belonged, in the cockpit. _Saving all their lives. _

"They are rarely pleasant but healing injuries within a few short minutes, or hours, that would normally take months…? Even you have to admit to it's advantages… despite it's _unpleasantness_."

Atton nodded slowly he had to agree, although the sight of the security feed of the medbay during the procedure had been one that still haunted his thoughts. It was a good thing he hadn't known what was going on when it was happening or he was sure he would have stopped Mical… or worse.

Atton glanced away, banishing those dark thoughts from his mind as he replied with an absentminded "I hear there's no scars."

"Yeah, sometimes, but I honestly don't remember it."

"Good thing. Blondie was particularly intent on healing all wounds like that." Atton replied with a veiled scowl. "Here, I thought you might appreciate these."

Atton patted the bag he had brought and opened it to show her. Meetra peered inside, pleased to find some simple clothes. It wasn't much, just a simple refugee type outfit but it was all she wanted right now. Meetra gave Atton a smile, which he returned then turned and presented her with his back.

"Go ahead." He told her, feigning an over-exaggerated sigh. "I won't look."

Meetra chuckled but went one step further, closing the door with a flick of her wrist. Not that she minded Atton being here, but she was less thrilled with being exposed to the whole rest of the crew like that. Quickly slipping out of her form fitting catsuit and into the comfortable, loose, outfit Atton had brought her. With a sigh, Meetra took a moment to appreciate just how wonderful these clothes felt against her skin after wearing nothing but a skin tight bodysuit and a hundred pound armour _for months_. She felt absolutely _free_.

"Ok. You can turn around."

Atton turned and surveyed the change. He could have kicked himself for willingly giving Meetra a change of clothes when it was not often she wore her catsuit devoid of armour but he smiled, far too grateful she was alright then to be worried about what she was wearing.

"Good, 'cause we couldn't have you running around half naked. Its… distracting… for the droids I mean." Atton gave her a clandestine smile.

"I thought we were beyond Peragus by now." She remarked with a tired smirk as she gently sat back down on the cot.

"Oh yeah, _distract all you want_. I'm fine with it."

Meetra scoffed but bit her tongue, deciding to 'ignore' that the comment. "How is everyone?"

"They're fine. Banking some much needed shut-eye." Atton replied, crossing his arms over his chest as his leaned against the wall opposite her. "I'm actually surprised any of them can sleep, considering all we've been through but I think they're worrying about you has worn them out."

"I don't know about that-"

"No? Bao-Dur told me your trash compactor has been threatening to wreck havoc on this ship if anything happens to you. HK is pacing the cargo bay muttering about blowing up _another_ planet if he is forced to serve _another_ master. And everyone else… well they've been through they're own issues since your disappearance on the surface."

"What happened after I left?" Meetra questioned, frowning as the tone in his voice suggested there was something he was hiding from her.

Atton shifted his eyes from her to the far wall and thought about the hours that followed Meetra's leaving the Ebon Hawk in a blur. Her eyes, which were fixed on his face however, pulled him back to the present.

"After you left Mira went out onto the surface, _after you. _When she came back a couple hours later she said she followed you down towards the core but lost you when that dammed Wookie found her."

"Wookie…? _Hanharr_? I thought Mira said he was dead?" Meetra questioned with confusion.

"Yeah, so was Tobin until we found him breathing on the _Leviathan_." Atton replied, his lips curved slightly at the corners but only briefly before his frown returned. "Mira killed him for good this time but not before he told her how he came back. The bloody thing was mad but he was right-"

"_Kreia_." Meetra groaned and Atton frowned. She should have guessed. "Is Mira ok?"

"She's fine, tough as ever. Whatever wounds she had from the _walking carpet_, your doc took care of." Atton replied, once again sounding somewhat distant.

"_My doc_?" Meetra questioned with a frown.

"Yeah. _Republic_ clearly worships you." Atton replied, still not smiling.

Meetra did not have the energy to argue with Atton on this right now, she was more concerned with something else other then his distrust of Mical.

"Why did Mira come after me. I told you _no one _was to leave the ship." Meetra demanded. "I had to do it alone."

"Had to or wanted to?" Atton questioned, tauntingly.

Meetra frowned slightly. So she had a little bit of a competitive streak… what did that mean in this conversation? Surely betting on who could kill more Kinrath was a lot different then going into a Sith academy alone, full of Sith Lords and assassins.

Atton's taunting gaze softened as he read her expression.

"Everyone of us wanted… _would_ _have,_ gone with you."

"But you didn't." Meetra countered. "And I'm glad."

Atton frowned. He was not. He understood he was the pilot and needed to be on the ship to be ready to leave at a moments notice but he still resented the fact that it meant Meetra had been forced to go alone into the depths of hell.

Meetra's sad frown deepened on her face as she easily read his thoughts.

"Atton. I know you." She told him quietly. "If you had followed me, you would have only done something stupid and gotten yourself killed if it meant I could go on to confront Kreia or even just get back to the ship safely. Please don't deny a truth we both know."

"I wont. You're right. I would have." Atton replied hastily, frowning at her for her forcing an answer out of him.

He hated Jedi still but as far as Jedi went she was the only one he didn't mind being pushed around by.

"Answer me this though Surik, why am I the only bloody person on this ship that knows how to fly? Its karking ridiculous." Atton grumbled moodily as he gestured wildly.

"Who said you were?" Meetra questioned with a funny look.

Atton stared at her a moment. Clearly he hadn't thought it through. Of course he wasn't the only one who knew how to fly but why was he the only one that did it? Couldn't anyone else just take a ship in the pilot's seat, for once?

"Well then, for all the frequent flier miles I've wracked up on the star lanes I should get some serious privileges." Atton defended. "Considering I'm up there, night and day, keeping us on track while you all kick back and enjoy the ride."

Meetra rolled her eyes but she was glad everyone was safe. She was glad she had not lost Atton, either in part or whole, on Malachor like she had many others before.

"Are we on route?" she asked then, distracting him from his bellyaching.

"Yes and no." He confessed. "We're headed for a station nearby, considering the Hawk needs _extensive _repairs. I didn't think you'd mind, considering we'll be _stranded_ if we don't repair the ship as soon as possible."

"I appreciate the sensible call." Meetra nodded. "What's the damage like? Any idea of what are we looking at?"

"Bao-Dur will have a report for you."

Meetra nodded. It was understandable. After Malachor they would, _no doubt_, be docked for quite some time as they took care of repairs. It wasn't ideal but it couldn't be helped. Meetra was silent a few moments, thinking about what Revan had told her.

"What now?" Atton asked quietly, sensing it was about that time for _this particular conversation_.

"Now?"

"Yeah. I mean we're all wondering the same thing. We've fought in a couple civil wars, beaten the Sith, crippled the Exchange, blown up a planet…_or two_… what's next on the menu?"

Meetra smiled lightly. He always had a flare for the dramatic.

"Now we go to Dantooine."

"What would we ever want to go back to that backwater planet for?" Atton questioned with a scoff.

"Because." She replied. "… we're going to _rebuild_ the Jedi Order."

"We're what?" Atton croaked. All of his dreams of loosing Mical came crashing down. _Gone_. In one fell swoop.

"You heard me."

"How?" Atton questioned. "All the Jedi are _gone_."

"Not all. Whomever is left are in hiding, and they won't come out into the light again until we find those Force sensitive and bring them to Dantooine. I even doubt that will make them all come running but we have to try. Once the word spreads about the Enclave, being open again, things will change."

"You sure you want that?"

"Yes. The galaxy needs Jedi again." Meetra replied resolutely. "If we cant locate any Jedi, we'll focus on finding those who are Force sensitive and train them. Plus, we have the Hawk, we can train new ones while we look for those who survived the Purge."

"_If_ there are _any_."

"There are."

Atton shrugged, sure a few _had_ crawled out of the woodwork but he'd believe there were more when he _saw_ _them_.

"And where did this, I'll admit _brilliant_ but_ HOPELESS, _plan come from?"

"Revan." Meetra replied without thinking.

"Revan?" Atton questioned, looking suddenly concerned. "_Revan__'__s_ back?"

"No." Meetra frowned, mentally kicking herself.

She hadn't planned on sharing this information at all, but as far as her companions went, she did trust Atton the most of all. On this subject especially, because if anyone understood her feelings for Revan, it would be Atton. Meetra took a breath and formulated her thoughts, this wasn't going to be an easy conversation… _even if they did have Revan in common_.

"He contacted me through the Force after Malachor V was destroyed and told me about a new Sith threat in the Unknown Regions. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"About what? The Unknown Regions or about the Sith?" Atton questioned, still mentally reeling from hearing Revan was back into their lives.

"Well both actually. You did go with Revan when he and Alek chased the Mandalorians from known space."

"Yeah, I followed them. Hunted the last straggling Mandalorians after Malachor V." Atton frowned, thinking back to those days before the Jedi Civil War and how much he had changed. "…but how does that matter? I mean, you say you spoke to Revan but you were unconscious. You sure you weren't just dreaming?"

"No. I _spoke_ to Revan. I was in some sort of trance, or subconscious channel constructed from his end. It was as if my subconscious was talking directly to him… the same way as I'm talking to you right now." Meetra responded confidently.

Atton was silent. He didn't like this very much.

"What did he want?"

"Revan told me that the Republic could only succeed in defending its self with the help of the Jedi, Jedi that would need to be restored to the galaxy. He then told me I was going to be the one to lead the rebirth of the Jedi."

"You?" Atton questioned. "Why? Because you were one of his Generals?"

Meetra frowned. "No. Because he _knows me_… he trusts me."

Atton didn't look as convinced as she. He stood and walked over to the medical console before turning and leaning his back against it and gazing back at her as she launched into a disappointed tirade.

"Don't ask me how, but Revan knows that I trained you and the others while we fought the marauders Sion brought with him. He knows I've re-established my connection with the Force and he wants me to collect the remaining Jedi to rebuild on Dantooine."

"You sure this isn't a trap?" Atton questioned cautiously. "Like Kataar, Serracco… _Dantooine_?"

"Revan doesn't want to destroy the Jedi. _He never did_. He wants to rebuild the Order."

"And he's working through you?" Atton frowned.

"In a sense… yes, he is."

"I don't know if I like that." Atton muttered.

"Revan isn't a Sith anymore, Atton." Meetra reminded him, frowning. She thought he would understand.

"I couldn't care less if he was Jedi _or Sith_. Don't forget, I served him before _and after _Malachor V. Long after _you _left. I respected him. I swore my loyalty to him. He was _a great leader_. I just don't know if I like _you_ being his… _pawn_."

Meetra tilted her head and frowned, definitely not liking the way this was going. "I'm not _his pawn_. This is just a task he's given me. There is no one else to take the lead, so he is. He's looking out for us."

Atton frowned, not concerned at all about Revan's motives but more his apparent grasp, or the influence he seemed to have on Meetra, even now after so long.

"…_Just_ because he knows you?"

Meetra frowned. At first she thought he was just being sweet with his concern but now she realized it was wasn't tender concern at all. He was back to that again. He just didn't trust her for the task. That or he _really_ didn't like the thought of Revan speaking with her, much like he didn't like it when she spent time with Mical. Shrewdly, Meetra decided to focus on the first, rather then the sheepish second.

What he said _was true_. She _wasn__'__t_ around during the end of the war. She _didn__'__t_ know everything he did. _She had heard, but she had no idea_. She _hadn__'__t_ taken part in torturing Jedi but she knew _much more _then he thought she did.

"What do you remember about the wars Atton?" She asked with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest, almost hugging herself. "Besides the almighty Revanchist's Revan and Malak?"

Atton frowned, not understanding her.

"During the war I was Revan's most trusted General next to Alek. I was _always_ close to him. Always in his confidence. He trusted me with things he did not trust _any other _General with. He was my friend. My mentor." Meetra explained, her jaw set as she stared stoically across at him. "He taught me more then any other Master that had come before. He taught me how to forge bonds… how to teach it to others. How to touch minds and hearts. How to influence people. I was hardly seventeen… a child really, but he believed in me."

Atton watched her silently. Unable to help himself, he could picture everything she said. He pieced together much from memory, even a glimpse of the young General by Revan's side. He hadn't known it was her at the time, no one had really known anyone but Revan and Malak, but now he could recognize her as Meetra. _Meetra_. Back there, _a child _as she said, on a battle field. It seemed like a world away, those days. After all they had been through, he could tell talking about it was tearing at Meetra's emotions but she continued on, forcing herself to appear strong and collected. Like a Jedi should. As much as it was inspiring to see, it hurt him all that much more then the memories did.

"At the end of the war I was in command of one of the command ships above Malachor V, it was _my_ tech's who had built the Mass Shadow Generator. It was _my_ order that activated it during that last battle. And it was _me_, _hardly anything more then a child_, who had stood there on the command deck of that ship unable to block the dieing screams of all my soldiers from my mind as it was activated."

Meetra closed her eyes, remembering the moment with an intense clarity. She could see the bridge. The pulse of the planet as the Mass Shadow Generator came online with it's death dealing task. Falling to her knees, right there amidst it all, as the voices tore her apart and her command crew watched her with anxious ignorance. Meetra remembered _everything_.

" … within seconds _all my soldiers_… _my friends on the surface_… died and I felt _every_ death as if it had been my own. Thousands of bonds I had forged were ended in those few seconds." Meetra opened her eyes and gazed at Atton as she felt each shard of her control dissolving within her. "Have you _any_ idea what _that_ feels like? To feel each shred of yourself being torn apart, piece by piece as the person attached to it is killed mercilessly _by your own hand_. There was so much pain that I was forced to sever my connection with the Force just to endure it. _Just to survive_. I don't even know how I did it but I did… All I remember was waking up in the med lab for the first time… and I have never felt _so empty and alone _as I did at that moment. It was like an entire galaxy of voices, in the duration of a single second, fell silent."

Meetra took a breath and balled her fists in her lap. She had never had this conversation with anyone before, no one besides Revan. No one else would understand her but she felt she needed to explain it to Atton now, just as he had told her his story. It was difficult to do, still, but she forced herself to go on. _He had to know_. Even if she embarrassed herself by doing it. She needed him to understand her.

"After that battle Revan, turned to the Dark Side. Alek and the entire Jedi faction that had followed him to war, followed him again. They were not as connected to the battle as I had been, they had not forged bonds to the extent as I had, but they had felt the destruction _too severely _to turn away from its call. I did not blame them, but, when my turn came to swear my allegiance to their new cause, I could not. Revan stood before me, leader of the new Sith, and didn't say a word. I know '_Malak_' was furious, I could see it rolling off of him, but Revan just told me to go."

Meetra turned her face away from his again, thinking back to that day again with acute clarity. She hadn't thought of that day in years until Revan had brought it up. She took a breath and stared at the corner of the room, fighting to suppress her building emotions.

"I didn't know it then but Malak had tried to persuade Revan to have me killed. Revan refused. _I was already dead_. Everyone could sense the emptiness in me, the same as I could feel it myself." Meetra's chest tightened. "I wouldn't be a threat to them. Killing me would have been a waste of time and energy. He knew it and so did I."

She didn't expect to be so emotional, retelling the tale, after so many years but the truth was she couldn't do it without the emotion. The pain was real. It was still there. _It would always be there._

"…Revan let me go back to the Counsel and be Exiled so that I would be safe from the Sith. I was no longer a Jedi… I would not be considered a target." Meetra looked up and met Atton's sympathetic gaze and took comfort in it. "_Even after he fell _to the Dark Side Revan looked out for me. He made sure I would survive the coming Purge… that I would eventually re-establish my connection with the Force and step up again to fight. I think this is why he saw that I survived, so I could fight. So I could fight for the Jedi and help rebuild their place in the galaxy."

Atton stared at Meetra. He remembered that time in his life, as vividly as she did her own. He had defected and followed Revan as he turned his back on the Republic _without hesitation_. But Meetra… after holding such a vital position in Revan's army…? He didn't know how she had been able to do it.

He stared at her, trying to picture the young General she had been, standing before Revan and Malak and _choosing_ to walk away. Being _forced_ to walk away from everything she had come to know and believe in. Then he looked at her as she was now, _really looked at her._ He could see the painful tears building in her eyes. He knew she had been a General, holding a valued position, but in all seriousness he had not idea she had been _that_ _close _to Revan.

Atton's chest tightened. He had never seen Meetra so vulnerable. It was completely out of character. He didn't know if it would help, but he moved next to her, sat down beside her and gazed down at her with concern. Just that light body contact of her leg against his, her shoulder against his made Meetra's weakness return. She felt depleted.

"I'm sorry Mee. _I had no idea_." He offered gently but she only shook her head.

"I can't tell you how hard that was… standing there before him. I was a shell of the woman I had once been. I needed support. _Anything_ to help me through what had just happened, and he just stood there… _not saying a word_." Meetra murmured, her forgotten story now just tumbling past her lips at an uncontrolled rate. "We had been as close as he was with Alek… yet _he just stood there_. I had given him everything I had… I had done my duty… endured so much _pain_ only to come before him devoid of the Force, empty and broken. _Yet, _despite it all_,_ I was shown nothing but disappointment and censure from the man I had… …all I could think of was _what a worthless thing I was to him _then. I didn't have a purpose anymore, not abilities, no-"

"Hey." Atton nudged her, slipping his arm around her shoulder. "Come here."

Meetra closed her eyes and leaned her head against his collarbone as he held her close. Grateful for his sympathy, Meetra calmed her raging mind. It felt good to be able to let her guard down for once.

"I didn't know it then but Revan had _never_ thought of me as anything worthless or a disappointment, he only wanted me to be protected from whatever the future brought. He only needed me to believe all I had known was over, but he also needed everyone else to believe it too."

"He must have really cared for you, to do that. Revan didn't show _any_ mercy to those who defied him." Atton murmured.

Although the thought of Meetra and Revan together was difficult to handle, he knew Revan's anger more then anyone. He had been the one to carry out Revan's orders concerning Jedi and betrayers.

"During the war Revan was like a brother to me. I would do anything for him… I would have joined him after Malachor if it hadn't been for the Mass Shadow Generator. I… I just knew I would be of little use to him without the Force. That's why I refused to continue with him. I knew I would only hold him back."

"Well I'm glad you _weren__'__t_ there." Atton told her after a moment. "Malachor was enough."

"_You_ followed him." Meetra countered, actually jealous he had been there and she had not.

"I hated the Jedi, I hated the Republic for denying Revan his dues after saving them from the Mandalorians. I was angry and he gave us a way to vent that anger. _He saved us_. That was enough to make thousands… _millions_ of us follow him." Atton explained honestly. She already knew why he had followed Revan.

Meetra was silent. Thinking.

"And now?" she asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Now, what?"

"Do you still hate the Jedi?"

Atton took a minute and thought about it as he sat here with one, his arm around her shoulder. _How could he hate them? He didn__'__t hate this one_. It would be hypocritical to say that he did when he was sure he was falling in love with one.

"I don't agree with them. With their _ideals_." He confessed, taking the safe route.

"Which?" Meetra questioned, actually wanting to know but treading carefully.

One always had to tread carefully with Atton Rand, she knew that well, she didn't want to say anything to jeopardize this private moment. It felt good to unload all of this on him… to just talk without arguing like they normally did.

_After all, they could always rewrite the Jedi principles__…__ right_? Isn't that what it meant to reinvent the Jedi, raise them from the dead, you were allowed certain… _privileges_?

"Well… their high opinions of peace for one. How they didn't fight in the war when their aid could have saved millions." Atton replied, his tone beginning hard but softening slowly. "Their strict views on light and dark… then their principles like… _no attachments_."

Meetra smiled but did not respond. She knew he was talking about them. She could feel his eyes on her, boring into her.

"What do you say? _Hmm_?" Atton questioned, trailing his thumb across the naked skin on her neck.

"We'll have to talk about that." Meetra replied, resisting the urge to shudder under his touch. It would only encourage him. "All of us. We should discuss it and decide early how close we want to stick to the old ways."

"Fair enough. Revan didn't tell you what he wanted to see?"

Meetra pulled away, looking at him defiantly. "No Atton. _He didn__'__t_."

Atton smirked and raised his hand to her face, taking hold of her chin between his thumb and index finger. He held his hand there a moment, just long enough to distract her then he shrugged lightly and dropped his hand.

"Whatever you say Mee."

Meetra closed her eyes and sighed heavily. This man infuriated her sometimes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Dantooine**

The Ebon Hawk arrived on Dantooine one standard month later.

Unfortunately there were no first rate mechanics on Citadel Station or at Khoonda so Meetra wasn't about to leave any problem unresolved before they left the station Atton had so wisely set a course for. Bao-Dur and T3 were fantastic mechanics but she couldn't afford giving them over the ship repairs for their sole occupation. There was much to do and after running through the galaxy defending allies of the Republic, but Meetra was looking forward to some quieter time rebuilding the Jedi Order, and she was sure the others were looking forward to some quiet time just as much as she was.

So, once ensuring the Ebon Hawk was in good hands of the mechanics on Generis, she ordered everyone to take advantage of the rest and even put them up with credits out of her own pocket. They had enough, thanks to the allies they had accumulated over the past several months, and not one was spent frivolously. Assured that the Hawk would be in prime condition within the two week, Meetra closed her eyes each night with a sense of overwhelming calm. Finally they could put all of this behind them and start fresh.

Their arrival on Dantooine did not mark the end of a journey void of all unpleasantness however, even after a few weeks of relative rest. It saw the end of their Mandalorian company, once more bound for Duxn. Mandalore had been a valuable asset on the journey but seeing as they were not going to be travelling for some time, he saw it as a sign to return to his duties on Duxn and said goodbye. Besides he had no ties to the Force, nor any desire to sit around as the Order was rebuilt. Before he departed, however, he did pledge his clan's aid and support to Meetra and her Jedi should they ever need it. As much as many would be less then enthusiastic to side with a Mandalorian, Meetra for one was grateful to receive such a pledge.

Mandalore had known Revan well, they had gotten over the fact that they had fought on opposite sides of the war and had become friends. They both had known the value of a great warrior when they saw one. Meetra was sure that by the end of the days of peace the old enemies would have to join to conquer _an even greater enemy_, so the prospect of having both Mandalorian soldiers and Jedi on the same side was a welcomed alliance.

. . .

Arriving at Khoonda, Meetra at once paid Administrator Adare a visit and explained her plans of rebuilding the Jedi Order from the old Enclave, as per Mical's diplomatic suggestion. They hoped this would promote good relations between the people of Khoonda and the Jedi, considering the disapproval of Jedi in the area for the past few years, thanks to Malak's unmitigated attack on the Enclave and the Jedi's disappearance several years prior. The Administrator, however, had always been a supporter of Jedi so Meetra received nothing short of her full support. What was more, Meetra also hoped that given her close ties with Master Vrook, the Administrator might have some advice for finding potential students.

The Administrator received Meetra kindly, promising any aid she might need in her endeavours on Dantooine, seeing as she was the sole reason Khoonda was not seized property of the late mercenary commander Azkul. Unfortunately though, she had little idea of any Force sensitive persons in Khoonda. She did promise to keep an ear out but other then that she could offer little else. Meetra understood. Although Khoonda _was_ rebuilding it's faith in Jedi, Dantooine still had a far way to go in trusting them again.

"What are your plans now Master Jedi?" Adare questioned. "Although the Enclave has been repaired to a certain degree it is hardly in any state to open it's doors to anyone, even such as yourself."

"I know. It will take some time to drive off the remaining Legreks and clear enough of the debris just to fulfill the needs of my companions and I, but we'll manage."

"You are free to stay at Khoonda should you require the rooms."

"I appreciate the offer but we still have the Ebon Hawk at our disposal. We're used to living out of it, _even if _space is limited." Meetra replied with a slight smile.

"I hope you will at least let me repay your aid in the past by sending workers to the Enclave to aid you in restoring it to it's former glory."

"I appreciate the offer but-"

"I insist Master Jedi." Adare replied. "The people of Khoonda, and Dantooine, are in your debt."

. . .

Returning to the ship after her meeting with Administrator Adare, Meetra met Atton outside the Hawk by the loading ramp. With a hyprospanner in one hand and a smile on his face, he greeted her.

"What's up?" She asked, taking note of his tools and dirty hands. She hadn't been told of any problems with the Hawk.

"Just checking the fuel cells. Bao-Dur's been driving me insane _hinting_ that they need to be replaced soon." Atton replied.

Curiosity made Meetra's brow raise. "And…?"

Atton made a face and quickly shook the question off. He didn't need to be proved wrong by her, _as well _as Bao-Dur.

"How'd the PR meeting go?"

Meetra frowned, all amusement gone. "The people of Khoonda are going to help us rebuild the Enclave."

Atton tilted his head towards her, not missing her tone of defeat. "You say that like it's a _bad thing_."

Meetra frowned at him. "At this point I'm not sure if it is a good thing or a bad one."

Atton mirrored her look. "I don't follow."

"Well, for one, I didn't expect anyone would _want_ to help. I assumed we would need to bring in help from off world. I already have Greeda scouting markets so we'll have everything we need and T3 is finalizing the plans. I had _everything_ covered, even an idea of how long it would take us to do it and now…"

"Six Jedi and a dozen farmers… yeah… _I see your problem_." Atton replied, trying to understand her disapproval, as he rubbed his chin and left a smear of grease behind.

Meetra frowned again, pacing anxiously. "It helps that Mira's agreed to embrace her potential and learn like you and Bao-Dur but… I mean, _I am grateful, _but this complicates things."

"It does? Don't get me wrong, I never wanted much to do with people like the ones who live here, but isn't it a better idea to just _let them help_?" Atton questioned, folding his arms across his chest as he watched her pace. "After all, they do blame the Jedi for Malak's assault. Shouldn't we be doing all we can to convince them we're _not_ like the Jedi who abandoned them?"

Meetra sighed with irritation but didn't say a word, not yet.

"It'll take longer, sure, but at least we're showing them our ego isn't too big to refuse help from ordinary people. Shows we're not like the… well…_ the Jedi_. Maybe this will be the first _real_ step to starting over." Atton continued with an uncharacteristically level head. "Sounds like it's worth it to me if you're so _hell bent _on doing this."

"I am." Meetra replied.

"Then take the help, Sweets."

Meetra took a deep breath and forced a smile. Atton was right, they should accept the help. _It would only bring good results. Wouldn__'__t it?_

"When did you ever get so insightful?" She asked then, with a curious twist in her smile.

"Since _forever_." Atton replied with his own cocky smirk, pointing the hyprospanner at her. "You've just been too distracted by my good looks to notice."

Meetra chuckled, giving him a once over and fixating on the smudges of his face and his grease smeared hands. He looked content though, far more content then he had been cooped up on the Hawk for the past eighteen months. It felt good to see him like this, especially after all they had gone through with Kriea.

Meetra turned her gaze away and caught an open access panel nearby, most likely the one he had been working in, and gazed at the cells within. Everything needing to be replaced had been on the station, but Bao-Dur always managed to find something to work on. In truth the Hawk had never looked better since he had taken charge of her.

"I've been meaning to ask how you're doing." Meetra commented distractedly before turning her face back to his face. "I've not mentioned this before but you look much better then you have in a long time. Especially since we were last on Telos. It's good to see."

Atton tossed her a loaded smirk. "Is that a compliment, _from Surik_?"

Meetra rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "Please, I'm trying to be serious."

Atton seemed pleased with this recompose regardless and ran his hand through his hair, messing it even further, but he didn't seem to care and neither did she.

"Honestly?" As Meetra nodded Atton was encouraged to continue. "It just feels good to sleep at night knowing that _witch_ is gone for good. To have my head to myself again and not feel her icy grip around my throat. Besides it's nice not hearing '_imbecile__'_ and '_fool__'_ muttered behind my back. Does wonders for your confidence."

Meetra inhaled slowly, ignoring his light joke and focusing on the seriousness of his confession. She knew exactly what he meant. Sure Kreia had been more of a mentor then a thorn in her side, like she had to him, but she had still been controlled by the woman.

"When did you know she was the enemy?" He asked, switching focus to her as his curiosity took hold. They were on the conversation now so he might as well ask before the moment passed.

Meetra stared at him a moment, thinking back on all the little things she had ignored. "I didn't know until it was too late."

Atton frowned, her tone not finding a sympathetic ear on him. "Mee. You cant blame yourself."

"Why not? It was my fault for keeping her around, wasn't it?" Meetra challenged. She knew the truth, it was her fault. No one else had hardly spoken two words to Kriea, they made it clear they did not trust her and yet she had kept the woman on board.

"It's not like we could space her when she was tied to you." Atton defended firmly. "Probably another one of her assurances we'd keep her around but we put up with her, like we had to."

Meetra felt her stomach twist once she heard his words. "Even after all she did. After what she put you through? How could you defend her?"

"Defend her? What are you talking about?" Atton scoffed. "Do I sound like I'm defending someone who made my life hell for eighteen months?"

"You knew for eighteen months?" Meetra breathed, shocked by that little piece of information. "When did you realize it?"

Atton frowned. "Well, threatening me was my first clue. Digging into my head for my secrets was my second and third, using that knowledge against me. All happened in about a minute and a half."

"When?"

"Telos. The old training complex, when you confronted your old Jedi pal and her army of echani fighters." Atton responded, resentful of this secret he had carried for so long.

Meetra held her breath, turning away as she thought about this. Now she understood a great deal more then she had thought about their mission. Kreia had manipulated her and Atton, she wondered if she had anyone else on the ship as well. No one had said anything but then again neither had Atton. The secret pained her, knowing that he had no doubt been blackmailed and threatened because of her, but there wasn't anything she could do about it now. The threat was over, thankfully.

"Well… what's in the past is in the past. It's time to move forward." She declared with a note of finality as she stepped onto the loading ramp and took a step forward. "Come on, we need to start planning."

"Depends on what we're planning." Atton called after her, his smirk suddenly returning to it's place. "I'd like to know before I volunteer. Something I've learned is very important before taking a job."

"Where have you been?" Meetra scoffed. "I'm talking about rebuilding the Order."

"Sounds good. I'm up for that. Is the dormitory empty? We could start now." Atton riposted as he followed her up the loading ramp with his ever cocky air.

"What? No! I don't mean like that you nerf-herder. I mean we need to find Jedi and rebuild the Order here." Meetra retorted, stopping and looking down at him with all seriousness.

Atton paused. "Considering we're already here, this might be a little late but… I thought the Order was on Coruscant?"

"Yes, it was but the main training facility was always here on Dantooine. Which is why we're here. We need Jedi before we can re-establish the Order and with it the Jedi Council. Which is why we'll need to train Jedi."

"Whoa, not me." Atton raised his hands

"Yes. All of us. We'll need your talents if we're really going to do some good in this galaxy and make people believe in us again." Meetra defended, ignoring his refusal.

"It's a nice dream Sweets but I highly doubt anyone is going to listen to an ex-Sith assassin, a more recent ex-Sith hand and a Jedi exile." Atton replied with confidence. He knew the galaxy, people didn't forget something like that.

Meetra frowned. "That is not true. We'll all be Grand-Masters, our past wont matter. All that matters is our talents and abilities."

_Gra_- Atton frowned. "How the hell do you figure that?"

"Because… because I said so." She frowned, resenting his question and despising her weak answer.

"Whoa. What an argument." Atton smirked playfully.

Meetra groaned and folded her arms over her chest peevishly. She glanced over the docking yard, where they were outside of Khoonda, and tried to stewed.

It amused Atton to watch her, actually. The calm, battle hardened, wise woman standing there grumbling over his case but he decided to cut her a break. "I still don't like the idea of being a teacher."

"There's nothing to it." Meetra responded, her voice still rather tight but her visage softening slightly for the benefit of his easing comment.

"Yeah, I guess you should know. You taught all the recruits Revan brought you." Atton retorted with a dash of defiance.

Meetra frowned, surprised to have her past and Revan brought up in this conversation. She and Atton had never talked about her past except when hashing out passionate arguments. She didn't have the energy to fight with him about that now. Especially when she still didn't know where his anger was coming from when he spoke of her during the war. _What justified that anger_?

"I did." Meetra answered slowly. "I didn't know you knew about that."

"I was in the same war, same side. Everyone knew about Revan's Generals." Atton replied, his voice was low.

Meetra frowned.

Atton smirked. "Yeah, everyone knew the stories about Revan and Alek. Their friendship was something else, it was like they were brothers. You could never hear about one without the other, but then… out of nowhere _you_ came along. No one knew where you came from. No one knew anything about you. You just showed up with Revan one day and never left his side for the rest of the war. I never saw much of you back then but… I sure as hell heard about you."

"What did you hear?" Meetra questioned quietly. She knew the rumours that had swirled during the war concerning her. She hoped Atton wasn't talking about _those_ rumours.

Atton smirked, almost making her wondering if he was thinking about the same as she was. "A lot. I never liked the idea of someone weaselling their way into a position because of personal ties, a lot of us didn't, but when the stories of your training started to circulate… when those first few saw you in battle I stopped judging you and started respecting you. We all did. We ignored everything else from then on."

"Atton…"

Atton met her gaze and smirked. "You've got some very powerful _friends_ Surik."

Meetra sighed. "Yes… I suppose I did."

Atton frowned, not expecting _that_. _The past tense_.

"But all that doesn't matter now. It's in the past. Same as your past doesn't matter. We're different people now." She explained quietly. "Which is why I am confident this is going to work. All of us in that Enclave. After all, we are the only true Jedi who are going to be there for the first while. When the others return… _if_ they do, we'll figure out what to do but for now.."

Atton held his tongue a moment just listening to her but then he couldn't hold back the inevitable any longer. "I'm not a Jedi."

Meetra's face softened. "Of course you are."

"Not like-"

"_None of us are _like conventional Jedi. You said it yourself. We were once Sith or Exiles or even deliberately ignored our potential." Meetra responded lightly, attempting to win him over with mildness instead of their usual arguments. "We might not be the ideal group to resurrect the Jedi and their teachings but we are Jedi."

Atton frowned. He didn't have any ties with the Jedi or the Force besides his desire to use it to protect Meetra. He would have never taken that first step on this road if it hadn't been for her. _What the hell was he suppose to bring to the table, being the kind of man who__'__s soul occupation during the war was _breaking_ Jedi?_

"I don't…" Atton furrowed his brow. He didn't know how to explain this. He didn't know how to say no. "… I think you'd better ask someone else."

Meetra frowned at him. She didn't understand. "It wouldn't make sense for you to be the only one of us who _wasn__'__t _a Master, especially with your skills."

"My skills?" Atton questioned, more intrigued by the thought that there was something he could do that was important enough to teach someone else.

"Yes. I was actually hoping that each of us could take on a role like that of the Master's on Coruscant. Each master assigned as a teacher would have a class, where they would teach a certain skill or set of skills." Meetra explained, unsure how much he knew about the JedI and their ways. "I wanted to discuss this all together first but I thought we could do the same. Each of us could take care of a certain part of the students' training."

"I still don't see where I'd be particularly helpful." Atton frowned with scepticism.

"Well… I thought you could teach some techniques you've perfect over the years."

Atton couldn't help but smirk, unsure if he was more pleased with her confidence in him or her flattery. He stepped in a little closer, just enough to use his height to tower over her, and slipped his hands into his pockets with a great flare of stubborn ease.

"Techniques I've perfected? _As in_…?" He questioned, arching his brow tauntingly.

Meetra cleared her throat, trying to ignore his tone if not his closeness, and forced her eyes up to his.

"Echani for one, but what is more, the techniques Revan taught you."

"For _breaking_ Jedi?" Atton asked with a raised brow.

"No… well, _not specifically_." Meetra replied. "You could instruct the students how to _resist_ such techniques if they ever come across an…"

"_Assassin_?" Atton offered.

Meetra hated that term linked to him. It just didn't seem right. So she ignored it and ploughed on.

"I thought you could teach the students how to be protected against those techniques and at the same time teach the students how to do other things such as not be detected by other Force users, how to block their minds and resist the Force powers that are meant to dominate minds and control actions." She explained whilst not trying to sound too hopeful. "…What do you think? Do you think you might…?"

Atton watched her, easily reading her body language and emotional tell tales. She was holding her breath, waiting for his reply. He was unsure if it was genuine expectation or if it was just tension, like he had read on her numerous times before, but she was shielding her mind more effectively from him at the moment. So naturally, he didn't know.

He didn't want to, not really, but he felt obligated to say yes. Not that he could really say no to her when it was something she really needed from him. Besides, there was much more on the line besides his own preferences. There was the future of the Jedi sure, but there was also his past.

"I'll think about it." He conceded

Meetra held his gaze. It was a start but it hadn't been what she had been expecting. Atton read her reaction and groaned, stepping back to casting a glance up the loading ramp then down at the Dantooine afternoon. It was a long conversation, one he wasn't sure he was ready for but he knew he'd have to sooner or later.

"I want to help you Mee, _don__'__t think I don__'__t_, but I just don't think I'd be a very good Grand Master… whatever the hell that is." Atton confessed, with a slight smirk as she smiled.

"Why do you think you wouldn't be any good?" Meetra countered, unsure if she should be hurt by his lack of confidence or humbled by it. "You would thrive here, in charge of so much. You've proven yourself time and again since I've known you. Besides, you have much more diverse experience then the rest of us."

"Not you." He replied, his eyes locking with hers.

Meetra nibbled her bottom lip, a subconscious habit that Atton had always found endearing, if not adorable. He couldn't resist a smile, which he was pleased to see her respond favourably to. Her eyes ignited and flashed brilliantly. She held back her smile but he still knew it was there, and that was almost just as good.

"Then what is it?" She questioned hesitantly, knowing she had to ask him eventually. "…Do you want to leave?"

"Ha. _No_. You're stuck with me now Sweetheart."

Meetra smiled, actually glad to be assured of that fact. She forced herself to ignore the flirtatious name though, denying her the personal pleasure of storing the feeling and smiles away for some dark day. Now was not the time to form any attachments. There was no sense in it.

"Good. Then come on, there's a lot to do before we actually start working in the Enclave."

Atton nodded, his smirk never wavering. "I'll be there in a minute. I should really finish up here before the clan meeting."

Meetra rolled her eyes and headed up the ramp, disappearing into the Hawk without another word.

Atton watched her go. So many words, unspoken, swirling around in his mind. Once she was gone his faked smile dissolved, with a sigh of gratitude. She hadn't noticed his façade and he was glad of it. He wasn't sure why but her confidence in him felt misplaced. After all they had been through over the past eighteen months, he still felt like he was playing a part… acting out a role he had no entitlement to.

Regardless, Atton picked up his tools and returned them to the toolbox near the open panel on the Hawk's hull. Checking the fuel cells were reattached as they should be he closed the panel and shook his guilt from his head. There wasn't time for that now. Right now all the time he had was for Meetra and her crazy scheme for resurrecting the Jedi, and that was plenty for him to deal with.

* * *

: I hope everyone is liking this so far. There is more to come.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: The Enclave**

In the days that followed, Meetra found little time to worry about the growing tension between her and the rest of her companions. Things had changed since they had returned to Dantooine and set about restoring the Enclave. Not that it was all bad, but everyone was far too busy and concerned with their own work to continue on as they had before. It wasn't like they just ceased talking and sharing opinions as they had always done, but it was the fact that there was no longer the time to waste on that sort of thing. Meetra had always tried to make personal time for each companion during their journeys across known space but, now it was much harder to keep up. She didn't know why, there _was_ free time… it was just _different_.

Meetra walked through the Enclave, taking in all the changes that had already occurred. Mira was working with Visas in the Sparing Chamber, adjacent to the Counsel Chamber, clearing debris and refitting the workbench to perfect working order.

Meetra didn't linger in that section however, her memories of what had occurred in the adjacent chamber still far too fresh in her mind. Instead, she moved on towards the dormitories where Mical, Bao-Dur and Atton were clearing debris.

She didn't linger here either, seeing Mical and Bao-Dur further into the blocked passage, clearing stones with the aid of the Force while Atton was using more brute strength then anything else.

Meetra's eyes washed over him in one fluid motion, catching the flexed muscles in his arms and the look of distance in his eyes. Whether he didn't notice her standing there or chose not to show it, she wasn't sure. Although it made the pit in her stomach grow, she was glad he made no effort to speak with her. They had not spoke since that day on the loading ramp and things had been a little _tense_ between them. She tried not to pay it much heed, they had gone through such tense times before and this was just like the others. It would pass in time.

Meetra walked on and headed up the passage way to the landing pad, now housing the lone Ebon Hawk, sitting silently and undisturbed. Everything was moving smoothly.

Retreating below to the Enclave, Meetra returned to HK-47 and T3 in the sublevel. They had been working on the Enclaves' database, restoring it to it's former glory- _if not precise_ working order. Meetra actually enjoyed working alongside HK and T3 best of anyone, because they were relatively silent companions who were intent on completing the task at hand to the best of their ability without unnecessary chit-chat. They were not concerned with emotional issues or small talk and it was a refreshing change.

Besides, whenever Meetra worked with droids of any kind, she was always reminded of Revan and his love of machinery. During the war he had always encouraged her to improve in her mechanical skills, counselling her that there was much to learn from droids, should she open her mind to them. Revan was a strong believer that anyone could learn a great deal both from the construction of them and in the endeavour of improving them, if they had the skill. He believed that it not only taught someone about machines but also about the entire galaxy around you. Thus it was a skill Meetra had always strived to perfect. Not that she would ever rise to his level of expertise but it reminded her of happier times with the Revanchist.

By now, the entire sublevel had been devoid of Legrecks, crumbling debris and salvagers for a week and a half. Meetra was glad, finally feeling like they were making progress. They had even set up personal chambers in the central rooms that had been abandoned for several years. It was simple and rather cold still but it suited well.

Everyone expressed their gratitude for exchanging a dormitory bunk for a private room. As soon as that change had been made and everyone had moved from the Ebon Hawk into the sublevel, however, Mira had not let Meetra alone. She constantly made mention that this change did wonders for 'hooking up a power coupling', a term that always seemed available with a liberal smirk thanks to her cocky persona. Meetra only rolled her eyes.

Meetra _had_ moved into her own room in the sublevel, along with the others, but as she lay in bed each night listening to the breezes whispering in the corridor outside, she rarely stayed. Instead, Meetra daily exchanged the private room for the empty Ebon Hawk. It wasn't a world of difference but just being surrounded by the thick durasteel plated walls and familiar creak and groan of the metal around her made her feel better. She spent more and more nights sleeping in the cockpit or empty dorm then she did in the Enclave.

. . .

The days continued on. The eight of them working away, occasionally with the help of a few salvagers or settlers but with the planting season already begun, the majority of the farmers and settlers were back on their farms, toiling on their land to support their own families. Meetra didn't mind at all, they were progressing nicely without the help. That day however, three days after she had seen Atton, Mical and Bao-Dur working away through the passage, they broke through into a new wing of the Enclave. _The guest chambers_.

That night, Meetra had tried to sleep in the Enclave again, being far too exhausted to make the journey up again to the Hawk at the end of the day. She tossed and turned. Beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she twisted and thrashed on her bed. Wanting desperately to stop the nightmares but unable to distance herself from the echoes of the fallen Jedi here still lingering in the wind around the Enclave.

Suddenly. Jolting from her sleep, Meetra sat up straight and gasped for air. She breathed heavily, almost panting for air as she held the sheets, twisted between her sprawled legs, tightly in her clenched fists. Tears filled her eyes as she desperately tried to get a hold of herself. The dreams were just _too_ vivid. _Too_ _intense_. She had been dreaming about Dantooine, _yes_, but lately she was reliving Malachor V… down to every last gruesome detail as well. She had been hearing the voices of Jedi who had fought… who had died, thanks to her order aboard the command ship during that last battle.

Meetra clutched her breast, finally able to steady her breathing enough to think, she could still feel the wound inside her. It was irritated by her nightmare and threatening to aggravate her connection with the Force once again, leaving her drained.

Meetra peeled herself from her sheets and slid out of bed. She sat on the edge of it and rested her head in her hands, still trying to steady her breathing. She was ready to do one of two things, overdose on stims just to numb the pain or go to the Ebon Hawk and let the tirade of emotions come and wreck havoc on her mind and heart. If she did, perhaps they would _stop_ haunting her.

So, grabbing a blanket from the floor at the end of her bed, she wrapped herself in it and padded over to her storage crate. Opening it and digging through, Meetra was disappointed by her stash. She only had three stims left, not nearly enough to give her the effect desired. She rolled back on her heels and thought for a moment. She could head through the Enclave to the medical bay and use the stims stored there, or she could return to the Hawk and use it's stims in private. Her mind made up, she headed off not even bothering to dress. She didn't care about anything but what the Hawk had to offer.

Meetra navigated the silent halls easily, she could navigate these halls with her eyes closed since she was a child. However, as she neared the corridor that lead up to the next level her feet slowed. Her eyes raised and she looked across the corridor to a room tucked into the corner. She stopped and hugged her blanket around her shoulders a little tighter then without a second thought she was propelled forward, towards that closed door. She knocked, hesitantly and waited as a desperate kind of hand clenched around her stomach.

She didn't even know why she was standing here when she _didn__'__t_ want to be, but she couldn't drag herself away. She felt too numb and cold. She knew deep down that if she wasn't standing here she would just be pushing herself towards a very dangerous edge… _and as she contemplated that edge_, the door slid open.

Meetra raised her eyes to Atton, standing there, with one arm braced against the wall and the other rubbing his right eye. He only had on a pair of shorts, his hair was messed with sleep and beyond Meetra could spy his bed of rumpled sheets. She had woken him up. She wasn't surprised but she exhaled a small sigh and fought back the pain building in her chest.

"Mee?" Atton asked groggily, his eyes hardly even open. "…What's wrong?"

Meetra just stood there, unable to move or speak for fear she would do something she'd regret. Such as show the emotions she was desperately trying to suppress. Atton for his part rubbed his face vigorously and opened his eyes a little wider. Wide enough now to see her distress.

"Are you ok?" He asked, his voice low and raspy, etched with sleep but concern all the same. "Do you want to come in?"

Meetra slowly took a hesitant step forward, clenching her fist closed so tight she could feel her nails pierce skin. She walked past him, then stopped in the centre of his room and just stood there. She didn't even hear the door shut behind her as she worked to bury her emotions and accompanying pain far beneath the surface. Stubborn pride, or whatever fuelled that effort dried and flitted away the instant she felt Atton's hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok Mee?" He asked again.

Meetra inhaled a deep breath and clenched her lips together tightly, for fear angry tears might escape if she didn't. She shrugged, however, and raised her hand to push her hair back from her face when a drop of blood fell to the floor, splashing onto her bare foot.

"What happened?" Atton questioned, quick to offer aid.

He took her hand, turning it palm up and frowned at the growing pool of blood forming there. Without waiting for a reply, he directed her over to the small storage chest by the wall and pulled out a small towel. Folding it, he pressed it against her open palm and closed her fingers around it.

"Keep pressure on it." Atton directed her, then went over to his bed, picked up a shirt from off the floor and pulled it on. "Come on, let's go take care of that."

"It's fine." Meetra murmured, distracted by the sudden pain in her hand now more then her emotional pain.

"Doesn't matter." Atton replied, with a frown as he grabbed a pair of pants as well and slid them on. "It might not be much but you'd be stupid to just let it bleed. Now come on."

Atton took Meetra by the arm and lead her through the halls to the mess hall they had thrown together. It was closer then the medbay. He took her into the kitchen and told her to sit on one of the stools while he took care of her wound. Meetra didn't refuse, although she had been through much worse alone, with no one to care for her or no medkits to carry her.

She just sat there and watched as Atton wet a cloth and brought it to her, dabbing away the blood from the cut her nails had made in her palm. He didn't pay her much attention as he did this, allowing Meetra to watch a very uncharacteristic Atton take care of her. As she did, she forgot about her reasons for sneaking out of her room in the middle of the night, instead she focused on the present.

Once the majority of the blood was soaked up and cleaned, Atton placed a small healing pad on her wound and gently pressed the adhesive edges onto the circumference of her palm. After doing that and cleaning up, Atton turned to Meetra and sighed. Her eyes were rimmed with exhaustion and she looked pale. Not at all like herself.

"Come on. You look like you could use some caff." Atton spoke quietly, nodding towards the doors leading to the mess hall. "Go, sit, I'll bring it."

Meetra stood without a word and did exactly what he said, she ignored the tables and chairs close by the kitchen and instead sat on one of the couch's that had been delivered the day prior by some shipping mistake. Pulling her feet under her, Meetra wrapped her blanket around herself tighter and waited.

When Atton came a few minutes later with two cups of steaming caff, he handed her hers before he pulled the other couch away from the wall, positioning it closer to hers, and sat down. They both took a sip of their respective cups before speaking, but even before he did Meetra could feel him reaching for the fragile pieces of her mind, urging her gently to tell him what was the matter before he had to ask.

Meetra tucked her face further into the cover her blanket offered but she couldn't deny his concern was touching. Even without the concerned chiding his mind offered hers, she could see it in his eyes. It was unlike anything Meetra had normally seen in him. Not since asking him to stay behind as she confronted Kreia, and definitely not since waking up in the Ebon Hawk. He wasn't normally an easily worried, let alone distressed person, when it came to emotions and sentiment.

"Mee?" He finally asked aloud.

Meetra cut her eyes to him but still refused to speak. She could feel all the old emotions returning. The images from her nightmares were clear in her mind. The pain in her arm throbbed, where she had injected a dozen stims she shouldn't have over the past few days. Her muscles began to ache, as if in withdrawal aggravated by fatigue and the lack of extra chemicals in her bloodstream.

"Not that I don't like being alone with you in the middle of the night, _Sweets_, but are you going to tell me what the kark is going on? Or should I just leave you alone and go back to the nice warm bed you pulled me from?" Atton inquired, a faint smile on his lips to accompany his gentle tone.

Meetra would normally of smiled at him for a comment like that. He always seemed to have some little remark like that tucked up his sleeve, should the conversation ever require one, but right now she didn't.

"I don't want to think about it if I don't have to." Meetra returned, sounding quite frail as she stared into the mug of caff. "You can go back to bed. It's fine. Sorry I bothered you."

"Mee. _Honestly_. I'm not going back. Not until you tell me."

Meetra shook her head.

"Why not?"

"It only gets worse if I think about it. It's fine. Honestly Atton. Thanks for the caff but you can go." Meetra replied courageously.

"What get's worse?" Atton questioned, ignoring all else.

Meetra took a breath and held it. She didn't want to get into this now. Atton, on the other hand, wasn't about to get into anything but this.

"Mee. Just save us some time and tell me. I'm not going anywhere until you do."

"Why not?" She questioned, finally looking at him.

"Because you look like hell, and I'd like to help you not look like that anymore." He replied with a faint smile. "So come on, spill to an old space dog."

Meetra smiled faintly. She did feel a little better being smothered by his easy joviality but it still didn't erase the darker thoughts from her mind.

"Fine. Nightmares… What experience do you have with nightmares?" Meetra replied.

Atton frowned. Nightmares he knew about. He had done many terrible things in his lifetime, things he was forced to live with, and he could generally do that. Especially since meeting this woman, but sometimes they did come back to him in his subconscious as he slept. As a constant reminder of the past. A reminder of what the darkness felt like.

He knew Meetra had not done any of the terrible things he had, but she had her own haunts that were etched in her mind, branded on her own memories. There was a lot he still didn't know about her, every wound and shadow, nor the real extent of them. He could, however, imagine what might visit Meetra in her dreams. It would have to be something significant to bring a woman like her this low.

"More then my share. Trust me." He replied, then fixed her with a careful look of inquiry. "Don't you think talking about it will help?"

Meetra was silent a moment, thinking about his suggestion. The shadows had always been there, always waiting but it hadn't been until recently that she could no longer ignore their cries for attention. She had been given ten years to forget the war, she had become a totally different person in efforts to forget but now that she was thrust back into her old life she was having a difficult time adjusting. Maybe talking to him would help. If anyone knew about starting over it was Atton Rand.

"Does it help you?"

"It's been a while since I have, to be honest." Atton confessed. "But it did. Go ahead, give it a shot."

"I don't know where to start." Meetra mumbled self-consciously.

"Well… what were they about?"

"They used to be about the war…" She frowned, closing her eyes tightly as if to erase the accompanying images from her mind.

"Alright. War's pretty self explanatory. Especially if it was Malachor, that was hell. I've got my own collection of nightmares about that cesspool." Atton questioned, sipping his caff. "What are they about now?"

"The Enclave." Meetra replied, her voice rather hushed. "Everyone I knew here… everything that happened to the ones I knew."

Atton was silent a moment. "You mean the attack?"

"Not only that. Quite a few of the Jedi I knew here went to war, the same as I did. None of them came back."

"That's got to be hard." Atton murmured, trying to console as best as he could. There was a good chance he had been a reason why none had returned.

"I used to be able to suppress my memories of them, ignore the fact that I killed a good number of them but the whispers left behind by the fallen Jedi here make it hard. I wasn't used to hearing them. I hadn't heard any since Malachor. It's pretty disturbing when you've been deaf to something like that for ten years."

Atton nodded. He could just imagine. He had a difficult time hearing them for the first time too, but he had heard worse. He got over the sensation rather quickly.

"Sometimes time doesn't help, does it?"

Meetra frowned and gave a subtle shake of her head. "No. There's a lot of things time doesn't heal."

Atton glanced off, blankly towards the shadows across the room. Meetra watched him, no doubt reliving some of those select wounds, those few memories he wished to be able to forget which would never be forgotten. Everyone had them. She knew that, but whether you could move on from them was different with everyone. Sometimes you could and other times you couldn't, it all depended on how you dealt with them.

"What does help?" Atton asked suddenly. "You said you've been having them every since you got here but no one ever noticed a thing. Seems you're pretty good at keeping secrets, Surik."

Meetra ghosted a smile and lied without remorse. "Being on the Hawk helps, being surrounded by durosteel muffles the voices."

"And if that helps, why weren't you there tonight?" Atton questioned, his eyes holding her gaze asking a thousand questions she didn't want to answer.

Meetra looked down at her mug, drained the last of the caff then set it on the floor before sitting back and wrapping her blanket tighter around herself.

"I don't know really. I was headed there when…" Meetra looked off towards the far corner of the room, neglecting to finish.

"Well for what it's worth." Atton said after a moment of brooding silence. "I'm glad you woke me up because you do look like hell, no offence. I'm glad that I know it hasn't been easy for you since we got here, because now I can help."

"Well no offence to you either, but I don't think you can. Not with this."

"Really? And how's that? You seem to be doing better now then you did half an hour ago." Atton retorted with a smug kind of pride.

Meetra expressed the desire to scoff and looked across at him. She did feel safer here with him then she did when alone but she couldn't believe him when he said he could help. She wanted to but she just couldn't.

The voices would not stop. He couldn't stop them. The shadows that were always waiting for her. At this moment though, under his watchful eye, she could feel them lurking a little further away then usual. With Atton it was easier to move beyond them, to try and ignore their cries for attention… at least for a time. She couldn't deny it, but then that scared her almost as much as they did.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Moving Forward**

Meetra spent that day, hidden away in the company of HK and T3 again in the engineer's office. They were working on restoring the Enclave's archives. Scavenging as much as possible from the old terminals, as well as piecing together whatever was lost to the Enclave library. Meetra was actually surprised so much had survived, so much so that she sent for Mical to shed some more light on the subject. She figured, since this is where they had met, he might know a little more about what had happened here. Not to mention his position as a chronicler for the Republic and Jedi put him in the perfect position to acquire a great deal of information from various sources.

"You wished to see me?" Mical said in way of greeting as he arrived in the library, the same exact place she had met him again after so many years, causing her to suffer from slight deja-vu.

"Yes. I wanted to know if you would be able to help me with some things."

"Gladly. I will do my best to aid you in any means required."

Meetra smiled gratefully. "Thanks but first, just a general question. The library here seems much more intact then the rest of the Enclave, can you tell me why that is?"

Mical followed Meetra's gaze over the entire room, from it's scuffed and pitted tile floor to it's vaulted ceiling. Within these four walls you would of never guessed the Enclave had been through so much. Sadly though, this library had still been touched by the sting of abandonment. Electro files were missing on every shelf, leaving gaping holes in all classes of available information. The floors were cracked and pitted by careless visitors and after so long being buried, cracks had begun to surface on the walls and ceiling. This once prized vault of information was a sad state.

"The walls of the library were reinforced, a precaution taken during construction to protect the records in view of an attack. But I am sure you could have found this easily if you were to pull up the schematics for the Enclave. I am surprised you did not know, already however, given your time here." Mical explained, returning his eyes to Meetra after taking in the entire scene of the room as he did every time he entered here.

"I was never much a student of architecture. T3 managed to pull up the schematics but I actually had never considered the reason for it's different construction." Meetra conceded, slightly ashamed she had overlooked such an easy assessment. "It seems to have done the trick, though, against Malak's armada."

"It has indeed, although the vast majority of information had survived the assault on the Enclave, some information has been lost regardless. In view of all the salvagers and mercenaries that have come before us, I have always been surprised there was not more taken." Mical replied.

"Salvagers are more interested in objects then knowledge. In my experience, crystals and holocrons are worth more to them then a datapad about the Jedi Code or it's history." Meetra replied with a smile. "Still, I am impressed _all of this _has survived."

"It was not always as you see it now. More datapads, more records, were missing in truth. However I worked tirelessly to return the vast majority of the collection to their proper places. Some pieces… I regret to say, have still eluded me."

"You've done a great thing regardless. It must not have been easy tracking down records like that." Meetra soothed, actually not surprised to know there had been more missing. "How did you manage it?"

"Only with time and the aid of some very loyal supporters of the Jedi." Mical replied rather reverently.

Meetra was impressed. She knew there were still some out there who supported the Jedi but she always curious if there were _enough_ to support them, should they require it.

"Are you still in contact with such '_supporters_'?"

"Oh yes. I believe I shall be for some time, if things continue to progress as they have." Mical nodded. "Several have found objects that might be of some use to us, so I have requested they send them here. Where as a few others have expressed a desire to visit the Enclave, as soon as you deem it fit for guests. I hope I have not over stepped my authority by suggesting shipments or entertaining such an idea as accepting guests."

"No, not at all. We are all equal here. We are all _Grand Masters _now." Meetra smiled generously for Mical's benefit. "I am curious though, _who_ these loyal supporters are."

Mical smiled, bowing his head. "My apologies. I have yet to remember I am no longer under the employ of the Republic, _requesting secrecy_, but now a member of the new Jedi Counsel."

Meetra smiled appreciatively. _You are indeed_.

"My contacts who wish to visit are only three thus far. Administrator Sarek of Alderaan, Captain Bostuco of Onderon, _whom you have met_, and I believe you have met the third as well. Admiral Onasi of Telos."

"_Carth_ Onasi?" Meetra frowned, hardly believing it. Not only an Admiral of the Republic but also a close friend of Revan's. He had been there when Revan had defeated Malak and destroyed the Star Forge, before he left for the Unknown Regions.

"Yes. I believe he, in particular, has requested bringing a few companions as well, should he be permitted."

"Of course." Meetra nodded eagerly. "Admiral Onasi is welcome at any time, _with or without guests_. We will pass it by the others but I don't see any reason he could not be offered an invitation to visit the Enclave at his earliest convenience."

"He will be pleased to hear that." Mical replied, nodding approvingly.

Meetra smiled and turned her eyes to the bright shelves housing all the information they had about Jedi, the anticipation of meeting a friend of Revan's threatening to take over all her focus. She had met Carth before, but that was before she knew _who_ he was and they had been far too busy with Darth Nhils to worry about introductions. Now, when he came they could actually _talk_. She could hear about Revan from someone else's lips. She couldn't help but wonder though, _who_ might he be bringing with him? Officers, friends, family? She had no idea but she was anxious all the same.

"But we have digressed, you called me here with questions." Mical spoke up then, calling her back from her own anxious thoughts.

"Yes. Sorry. I wanted to know if you would be available to help T3 and HK piece together a few records from before the attack. You were stationed here then, weren't you?" Meetra questioned.

"I travelled to Coruscant some months prior to the attack, yes, but I believe I might be of some help in piecing together the records. I have been given enough practice by these." Mical replied, gesturing to the shelves of material around them.

Meetra smiled.

"Ehem."

Both Meetra and Mical turned to find Atton standing in the open doorway, arms crossed and apparently taking in the scene with mixed emotion. Neither of them had sensed his arrival. Meetra sighed, Atton's jealousy was ridiculous sometimes, especially of late when it was clear he had _nothing _to worry about.

Meetra remained unmoved. *_Yes_?*

Atton smirked for her private questioning. "Visas is looking for you, Surik."

Meetra nodded then turned to Mical.

"I will start the work immediately." He vowed, reading her mind through her face.

"Thank you Mical. I really appreciate it."

"It is my pleasure." He gave her a little bow.

Meetra gave him a smile in return then turned and headed for the door. She stepped past Atton and headed for the corridor but paused when she realized he didn't follow.

*_You too Rand_.* She called back to him. *_Come with me, and leave Mical alone. He has work to do_.*

"Sure thing, _Sweets_." Atton smirked, coming up behind her and falling into step easily. "So, what's up with you and _Blondie_?"

Meetra exhaled, trying not to smile. "I've asked him to work on some old records, see if he can clean them up and straighten out any of the garbled data. Why, what's it to you?"

"Nothing. Just checking you're not booking any extra time with _the Disciple_."

Meetra stopped and turned to face him. "What?"

Atton smirked, only urging her frustration further. _Insufferable pilot._

"I can't believe you." She scowled. "Are you _actually_ insinuating what I thi-"

"Glad to see you back to normal Mee. You really had me worried last night." He told her in all seriousness, not even sorry to cut her off to do it.

Meetra's frustration melted. He had only been joking. Egging her on like he always loved doing. She gave him a grateful smile to see his amusing side and shrugged off any remaining irritation.

"I still don't feel 100%, but if I keep working, _keep running_, I'm fine." Meetra confessed. "But thanks."

"Did you manage to get some sleep?" He asked, not daring to look at her. She could tell this kind of sentimentality was new for him.

"I did." Meetra smirked. It had been one of her better nights actually, after sharing a late night caff with Atton in the Mess.

Atton grinned, glad to be of some help yet again, but then stopped in the corridor causing Meetra to as well.

"Well, I'd love to stay and follow you around for no apparent reason_, _but I have to get back. Bao's probably already sent out that new annoying bug of his to find me."

Meetra nodded, uttering a small smile for Atton's apparent lack of affection for mechanical things.

"Alright. Thanks. I'll see you later."

Atton flashed a quick smile then headed off, back to work, while Meetra was sent on yet another errand. She was always running. Always heading back and forth to the point where she was unsure if she was accomplishing anything at all.

. . .

Meetra found Visas standing under the tree in the small courtyard between the landing pad and Council Chambers. Upon seeing her there, Meetra watched Visas for a moment, just standing there, her blind eyes gazing up at the two trees. It had grown since Meetra had been here last but their harshly cut predecessor still filled Meetra with sadness.

Burying those thoughts, Meetra walked forward and came along side Visas, where she stopped and, too, gazed up at the trees. It was clear now that Visas had not called her here to come for some mere physical labour question.

"What is the significance of this? I have meditated over it many times since our arrival but reached no satisfying conclusion." Visas pondered methodically. "Does it represent growth, strength, _wisdom_?"

Meetra smiled wistfully. She had always wondered the same.

"My Master once told me that the tree's symbolism was left to each viewer's own interpretation. The Council at the same time, always had great things to say about the benefits of meditating upon _creation_. Many Masters would encourage their students to do so, out in the courtyards because of that, but here… I think _this_ was _just for the Council_."

"I believe it represents _the resilience of growth_." Visas responded, after a moment of reflection. "That, even where there is pain and suffering, there can be something both strong and beautiful that comes of it."

"You think that's why the Jedi planted it here?" Meetra inquired, finding the thought actually quite sensible.

"I do not know. That is simply my interpretation of it's symbolism."

Meetra couldn't argue with that. She cut her eyes across to the tree again and thought of something Kreia had said.

'_We__'__ve been through a lot together, you and I.__'_

Unable to help herself, Meetra's lips curved into a bittersweet smile. It was true for her as well. This is where she had grown up, where she had been taught the Force. This is where she had met Revan, where she had first forged a bond, the place she decided to disobey the Counsel… put her childhood behind her and go to war. This is where all her fondest memories were. _This place_, and along with it, _this tree_.

"I feel it represents all the Jedi who have come and gone. I feel like they have, while having stood in it's presence, each left an imprint on these trees that acts like a fingerprint for all the Jedi to come." Meetra said aloud, with a quiet confidence. "The tree that was cut, was witness to many great Jedi who had come to this Enclave… and while these new ones that stand in it's stead _have not_, I believe they will once again be witness to _many_ great Jedi in the years to come."

Visas turned to Meetra and smiled. "That it is my expressed belief now _as well_."

Meetra smiled. She appreciated Visas' support. She was a rather silent companion but a strong one. She would do very well here. Meetra was convinced, already, that all students would benefit from her knowledge and strength.

"I was told you wanted to speak with me?" Meetra said then, perfectly content to stand here talking about such things with her, but she had other work to complete as well.

"Yes. I wished to know what you would like accomplished with the Council Chamber." Visas replied easily. " You have not assigned the task of it's repair to anyone and it is in sore need of attention."

Meetra frowned. This had been a question she had been _dreading_.

"I had some ideas but nothing specific. T3 was taking care of it."

Visas turned her eyes to the corridor leading to the room in question. Anyone else would have tackled such a room _immediately_ upon taking up such a task as rebuilding an Enclave for Jedi, but Meetra seemed to be avoiding it.

Visas turned her attention back to Meetra, who had just pulled out her communicator.

"T3? Come in."

The line was silent a moment then the little droid's chirping reply came over the comm line.

"No, everything's fine. I'm outside the Council Chambers. Can you upload the plans for this section of the Enclave onto the main database? I'm going to give Visas the go ahead to start in here." Meetra requested, speaking into the small comm.

T3 chirped an affirmative reply.

"Thanks T3."

He gave a little whirr and chirp then the line was quiet. Meetra returned it to her belt pouch and raised her eyes to Visas's face.

"I had T3 draw up some ideas, he's going to upload them so you can find them on any panel." Meetra explained. "I'll have the others come and help you in here. It's going to be a big job."

Visas nodded then "I do not wish to pry, but have you set foot inside the Chamber since returning here after Korriban?"

Meetra took a deep breath. "No."

Visas was silent.

"I will… just _not yet_." Meetra enforced. "But I have to go. Just call if there's a problem."

Visas nodded, but still did not say anything until Meetra had made it across the room and was about to disappear into the shadows of the covered corridor.

_*You saved me from the pain of loss, healed me from my anger. I pledged myself to you because of that. Now I wish for you to know, I will always be here should you need someone to do the same for you.*_

Meetra paused only a moment before continuing up into the Enclave. She was touched by Visas' words but she would be alright. It would take time, like anything else, but she was sure she would be able to overcome it in time. The three more deaths added to her headcount.

Meetra walked through the halls for some time, after speaking with Visas, with no apparent destination in mind. There were dozens of things she _could_ be doing. Things that needed to be taken care of before guests began to come, but for some reason she couldn't concentrate on anything that needed to be done. Instead, she roamed the halls.

She thought about what Visas had said, and of all they had spoken of. From the symbolism of objects to her brief thoughts about her past, to Visas' stinging question about the Council Chamber.

Meetra frowned, almost hearing their voices again like she was still standing before them. Meetra closed her eyes. She could still see them. Laying motionless in the tall grass, devoid of life and stripped of the Force. They hadn't even the opportunity to become one with the Force, to live again in the Force. Kriea had stripped them of that, when she sentenced them to die, as Meetra should have at Malachor V.

Meetra opened her eyes and turned down the nearest corridor. She, now, knew where she was going. _She had put it off long enough._

_. . ._

Meetra stood out in the courtyard under the rays of the dipping sun, before the large stone monument that had been erected in the center of the courtyard. Beneath it were the graves of Masters Vrook, Zez Kai-ell, and Kavar. The only Jedi Meetra knew whom had graves and had not been burnt as was the custom among Jedi. They had been the only Jedi she knew who had _not_ become one with the Force. Upon the massive triangular style monument, which looked a great deal like the center stone from the Council Chamber in which Meetra had been judged all those years ago, were three markers. Markers that bore nothing but each of their names and above each… the titles they had worn with honour. _Jedi Master_.

Meetra had a message sent to Administrator Adare, on their way to Telos to confront Atris, requesting that she do something with the bodies left behind at the Enclave, which Meetra would repay generously for. The Administrator sent a reply a few days later, with details about what had been done but Meetra had neglected until now to see them for herself. Whether it was because of time or guilt, even she did not understand it, but she was here now.

Yet, as she stood before the monument, she still did not understand what she was supposed to do.

Meetra stood there for a long time, staring at the massive stone sitting upright in the Dantooine soil. Her mind awash with so many thoughts and concerns, of both the past and present. She thought of each of these Jedi Masters and what they had taught her, either recently or years ago when she was nothing but an Apprentice. So many things swirled through her mind as she stood there, that she didn't notice Bao-Dur approach until he stood next to her.

Meetra took a deep breath, almost finding comfort in having someone real standing next to her, and wrapped her arms around herself. She felt deflated and lost.

"I thought I would find you here." He murmured in his usual gentle tone that had always calmed her raging mind.

"How'd you know?" Meetra almost whispered.

"Visas Marr." Boa-Dur replied simply, with a sympathetic tilt to his head.

Bao-Dur had an amazing quality about him that way. Although being quite a giant, equipped with an intimidating mechanical arm, facial scars typical to his home world and dangerous claw like fingernails- he was truly a gentle soul. He had moments of anger in the past, outbursts of frustration and adrenaline surging through his veins in battle, as anyone might, but he was quiet and collected for the most part. Something that Meetra had always found to be grounding, especially when under heavy stress.

Although things had been a constant struggle ever since returning to this galaxy, Meetra had forged a solid friendship with the passive Zabrak since meeting him again on the surface of Telos. She had never truly known him during the war, not besides his amazing abilities with machines and she regretted that, but now she sought to fix that rift.

She and Bao-Dur spent a great deal of time together, talking of the past, sharing thoughts on the current missions. It progressed so far that when Bao-Dur responded favourably to Meetra's suggestion that she teach him some Force techniques, she was ecstatic. He had been her first student, and although Atton, Mical and Mira followed, each having a different claim on her time and affections, Bao-Dur was particularly special to her. _And he would always remain that way_.

"I don't know why _I am _here, Bao. Honestly, _I don__'__t_." Meetra replied just as quiet.

"Somehow you must, you came here on your own, didn't you?" He questioned, looking across at her.

Meetra nodded slowly, reluctantly offering the reply "Visas asked me about the Council Chamber."

Bao-Dur gave a shallow nod. He understood now. Meetra had told him about it after it had happened. They had been close since meeting eighteen months ago. He wasn't sure what had brought them together, maybe it was their history in the war or their personalities just meshed well. He wasn't sure. It was an easy friendship, since it had begun so long ago, but it meant a great deal to him.

"You haven't been yet, _have you_?"

"I can't." Meetra whispered. "It's my fault that they're dead. I just… can't go back there."

"Their deaths are not your fault." Bao-Dur defended soothingly. "They are no one's fault but Kreia's. She took their lives, _no one else_."

"Yes but she was protecting me. She did it because they were going to strip the Force from me, again." Meetra frowned, painfully reliving that moment. "She stripped the Force from them instead, she wanted them to know what I did but… they couldn't handle it. So now they're dead, but they haven't found peace because of me, because of what Kriea did… _because of me_."

"What was done, was done because of the darkness that had surrounded her. She could easily have stopped them and made them listen but she didn't, did she? Instead she did what she wished, she _hurt them_. Not so much for you but for herself." Bao-Dur explained.

"But she told me why she did it."

"That doesn't mean it was how she felt. You gave orders during the war that resulted in death but you never wished to give those orders." Bao-Dur replied gently, remembering several times in particular. "Kreia was very different then you, she had no remorse when it came to ending a life or bending one to her will. She would have killed them had you been there or not."

Meetra was silent. He made a good point but it felt like a betrayal to just blame Kreia, somehow it felt like a betrayal of her Masters to just place to blame on someone else.

"The deaths of these three Masters are not your fault." He continued, laying a consoling hand upon her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze before dropping it again. "Stop letting it eat away at you. You need to move on."

"But to go back there. To that Chamber would be like going back to the command deck after Malachor… I don't think I can-"

"You can. _I believe you can_."

Meetra gave him an thankful smile. It was weak but appreciative all the same.

"You will have to eventually. Once the Enclave is open, the seats there will need to be filled." He continued. "So why not go and face it now, where you have the luxury of privacy before that is taken away by visitors and hopefuls."

Meetra nodded. "You're right. Thanks Bao."

Bao-Dur nodded towards her but remained where he was as she headed off. He watched her go then turned his attention back to the stone monument and the three Jedi who had died for only doing what they thought was right. Bao-Dur was glad they had not succeeded in stripping Meetra of everything she knew. Glad they had not hurt her, but he still felt regret for their loss. He had not known them but he was moved by Meetra's emotional attachment to them, and her pain for their loss.

Meetra was a great Jedi, everyone could see that as easily as they could take in the landscape of Dantooine stretched out before them. Boa-Dur was convinced she would only continue to thrive and grow in her abilities and strength, surpassing many Jedi he had the privilege of meeting, but there was one thing that he could not understand. While her abilities were humbling, there were some abilities he just did not understand. He had never heard of them. Never seen them, among the Jedi he knew from the war.

Bao-Dur turned his head and looked at her retreating form crossing the courtyard towards the lower level entrance. He worried about her. They all did in their own way, but Boa-Dur had known her before this had all started. _He had known her in some ways, at least_. He had observed her before. She was not the same person. He rarely saw that woman anymore and it pained him because _she_ had been truly great. He knew there was a bigger event on the horizon, only now cresting into view. He could feel it, and he could also hear the echo of who it involved. He only hoped she was ready for it.

. . .

Meetra went to the Council Chambers as Boa-Dur had suggested, but only once everyone had finished their work for the night. Only when this entire section of the Enclave was quiet, did she ventured in. It went far smoother then she anticipated, when she first stepped off the corridor and down into the slight sunken steps of the Chamber.

Her eyes passed over the shambled room with cautious anxiety. It had changed since she had been here. The grass was taller, some of the roof had been repaired. No doubt by the settlers who had come and gone before now. It was little things that had been completed, that made Meetra more easy with walking into this room. She tried to picture it as it had been. Long ago, before the war, before the years of wandering and _especially_ before Kriea had stepped into her life.

She remembered the grey stone, now bleached by the sun, gleaming with brilliance. She remembered the Council's seats lined against the wall. More of a formality than anything else. She had only seen them sit in those chairs twice, during her apprenticeship here. She remembered the Counsel too, very vividly. Masters Vrook, Vandar, Kavar and Zhar. There had been more, a female Bothan and Rutian but they had moved on long before she left for war.

Meetra walked into the chamber and stopped before the Council seats, as she had when she confronted the masters the last time. She looked around her at the large room and felt an uneasy calm settle over her. Choosing now was a time as good as any, Meetra dropped to her knees and held her closed fists before her chest, as she dropped her head to meditate.

She emptied her mind of the events that had occurred here some months ago, and instead focused on the events that had occurred here long ago. All the wisdom that the Council had bestowed upon any ears seeking to learn. The historic changes they had issued, the lives these Jedi had saved. All the Jedi whom had walked these halls.

Without focusing on the war and their refusal to join the fighting, Meetra was able to compile enough confidence in herself _that she was_ doing the right thing in being here. She _could_ resurrect the Jedi and their way of life. She _could_ return their much needed presence to the galaxy. _It was possible_.

Raising her head and getting to her feet, Meetra cast a glance over the empty chamber, now shrouded in cool twilight and managed a smile.

"I'll make you proud." She said to no one. "I will not forsake your training. I am a Jedi and it is time there were more."

* * *

: I realize that Meetra may sound a little juvenile at the very end here, talking to herself in such a way but I needed to push her down that path of wanting to set things straight and fix her mistakes. I wanted her to understand just how much the traditional Jedi were needed- and that needed to be expressed in one way or another here to make way for more changes in the coming chapters.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Preparations**

The next day, Meetra awoke alone in the port dormitory of the Ebon Hawk. She laid still for a long while as she stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking about her visit to the Council Chamber before she had retired here. It hadn't been much but it had helped her, unknowingly, combat her new dependence on stims. At least for last night. She was grateful, truly, but concerned at the same time. This was all new to her.

Meetra had always been a confident person. She had done well in her training as a child, even going out of the way to improve herself… test herself. She had begun to teach prospective students at a young age, when the Masters were swamped and unable to care for so many children at one given time. She had also gone to war, forsaking the Council's strict decision not to participate, because she knew it was the right thing to do.

Those events, formed because of her own personality, had shaped her even further into the woman she was today. She regretted some things, yes, but on whole she did not regret who she was. She was content. However, these shadows were almost as hard to handle as the lack of them had been.

Regardless of her feelings on the matter however, it was a new day, and she needed to begin hers. So, heading to the refresher and taking care of the usual morning routine she immerged drying her hair with a towel and dressed in her usual choice apparel, these days around the Enclave, of an Echani combat suit. Then, pulling back her wet hair in a tight side braid, she left the Hawk in search of some breakfast.

Heading into the small Mess Hall and finding Bao-Dur, Mira and Disciple within, Meetra gave them a simple morning greeting before heading for the food.

"So boss, what's on the agenda today?" Mira inquired aloud for the entire room, as bold and brazen as ever.

Meetra smirked and poured herself a mug of caff. "I don't know really. How's everything coming from your end?"

"Just great. I _love_ the state-of-the-art equipment I get to work with." Mira retorted, tossing a berry into her mouth.

Meetra sighed. "Yeah, we need to take care of that. Bao, what's your thoughts on the garage? That should be next on the list to tackle, don't you think?"

Bao-Dur frowned. "I agree. New equipment will be required there was well, if we wish to have it up and running. It's of little use now, as it is."

Meetra nodded. "Agreed."

"Yeah, that's all great news but where are the creds coming from to pay for all that?" Mira challenged, looking between them. "Everyone knows we're running low on cash. It costs big to be a hero these days."

Meetra couldn't deny it. They were running low on money. Even with the money coming in from Nar Shadda and the support of the Administrator, it was still going to run dry very soon.

"If I may. I might have a solution." Mical offered from his seat across the room. Everyone looked across at him.

"What, you got a million creds stashed away and somehow- _with all this saving the galaxy going on_- neglected to tell us?" Mira retorted

"Mira." Meetra frowned, giving her a polite warning before turning to Mical. "What is it?"

"I have just received word from the Admiral that he has accepted our offer to come and view the Enclave. Perhaps some Republic funding would cover the required expenses?" Mical replied, as civil and thoughtful as ever.

"Admiral _Onasi_?" Meetra questioned.

"_Onasi_?" Mira scoffed. "The Admiral from Telos? The one who was chasing you all over the galaxy?"

"He wasn't _chasing_ me." Meetra defended then sheepishly added "…besides, those charges were dropped."

"Admiral Onasi has always been a loyal supporter of the Republic _and_ the Jedi Counsel." Mical continued. "I could not see an issue with proposing an allegiance and an arrangement of financial support."

"From who? A bankrupt Republic?" Mira frowned, sceptical as ever.

"From _the Republic_, yes." Mical responded tightly.

Hopeful, Meetra exchanged a glance with Bao-Dur for some advice. He shrugged. It was up to her entirely. They did need aid, so it was a chance they might as well take.

"Alright. We'll see what we can do." Meetra confessed, turning back to Mical. "Did he mention when he'd come?"

"I thought it best to allow us the needed time to prepare. He agreed to an official visit in two weeks time."

Meetra nodded. It didn't give them a lot of time but it would have to be enough.

"Well, it seems we have work to do then."

"Shall I put together a suggested course of action, in efforts to prepare all key systems and common areas?" Mical inquired.

"You've got to be kidding me." Mira grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Yes. Thank you Mical." Meetra replied, glaring at Mira. "I'm sure _Mira_ would _love_ to help you with that."

Mira glared daggers at Meetra in return but drained her caff and stood regardless. "Come on _Republic_, let's get this over with."

Mical sighed, clearly not enjoying this any more then she did, but he followed her out. There was a lot to do. When they were gone, Meetra raised her brows and smirked at Bao-Dur. He couldn't help but return her look with a smile. He understood completely.

. . .

As the days passed, more and more of the Enclave was cleared and deemed fit for habitation. Even some of the sections Meetra had not seen for years were once more usable and in the best condition they had been in years. It was a welcomed sight but as they pushed on, each day moving closer to the conclusion of repairing the Enclave, the more Meetra became aware of the second phase of the project. They needed to find Force sensitive prospects to learn the ways of the Force.

Finding this task to be looming on the horizon, Meetra slunk away from the company of the others and set up something like a nest in the one of the mechanical command centers. With the computer database and communications at her disposal, Meetra spent hours pouring over any information she could find that could help her find those with a Force sensitivity.

Meetra read anything the database and library had to say but nothing gave her clear directions on what to do. What she needed was guidance. She couldn't do this alone, not when she didn't know what to look for. Maybe the Masters had passed that knowledge down from Master to Master. Perhaps there was a holocron that explained the details. Whatever the case, Meetra was lost. She had no one to ask.

. . .

Days passed and Meetra remained locked away in the command center, with nothing but dismantled droids for company. She had switched her comm off and given T3 strict instructions that she was not to be bothered. Only HK had seen her. To bring her food and drink occasionally. But even he could not help. She asked him if Revan had ever programmed any such knowledge into him, but alas as Revan had never gone _in search _of Force sensitive younglings, there was no information.

On the sixth day of her being locked away, Meetra turned her attention _away_ from the computers to the array of droid parts and sought to distract herself for a while, tinkering on them. Meetra had never much of an aptitude for mechanics like some, but during her tutelage under Revan he _had_ insisted she learn. Soon enough, under his watchful eye, she became quite the mechanic. She performed many repairs on machinery, droids and weaponry… even assembling a crude ET-74 communications droid from old parts.

So, tinkering away, Meetra reassembled the droid and after an hour or so switched it on and was delighted to hear it's machinery whirr and it's eyes light up, bringing the old droid back to life again. Meetra stepped back and rested her hands on her hips, admiring her work.

"What is your designation?" She questioned it, hoping she had connected the proper wires for voice controls.

"GE3-T5." The droid responded tonelessly.

"Are you fully operational GE3-T5?" She asked then, not satisfied with it's hollow reply. _Forget_ that GE3-series droids were one of the best selling droids in the galaxy, after living with T3 and HK for eighteen months _she wanted a personality _in each of her droids.

"Core programs fully operational. Supplementary programs, offline." GE3-T5 responded again, tonelessly.

"That won't do." Meetra frowned. "Must be the restraining bolt. Hang on."

Meetra went to the droid, tinkering around with the circuits in it's exposed back and then with quick precise movements, removed the restraining bolt. The droid's power depleted, a few sparks jumping out at her and then he stood limp. Meetra exhaled a deep, frustrated sigh and stood back. All pride she had felt for restoring the droid vanished.

She went back to the workbench to select a few more parts, but was startled when she heard the power return to the droid with a distinct hum. Meetra turned around and watched as GE3-T5 stood upright, his eyes ignited, and then turned to the right and left with stiff movements, raising his right arm and dropping it again in small increments.

"GE3-T5?" Meetra questioned.

Immediately the droid's head turned towards her and it stood still.

"Master Jedi!" It exclaimed after a moment's observation.

Meetra was startled at first but then she smiled, pleased with the mimicked human voice that reached her ears. Which was music to her ears contrasted against the toneless drone of a droid with nothing but the soulless husk provided by the factory where it was made.

"You've repaired me." GE3-T5 replied joyfully. "I am very grateful to once again feel power surge through my circuits."

"Well I'm glad I could help. Are you fully functional now?" Meetra smiled, pleased once again for the success of her skills.

"All programs responding as fully operational, _however_, I do seem to have trouble controlling my left arm. It seems to be _highly_ dysfunctional." GE3-T5 responded brightly at first then dropped his tone to mimic depression, almost as perfectly as HK displayed joy for taking out an impossible target.

"I'll see what I can do." Meetra replied, picking up her hyprospanner again and checking out T5's arm. "Anything else?"

"Not that I can detect. Although I am highly disappointed with the state of my parts. I have always been kept in pristine condition, why do I look like a junk pile brought to artificial life?"

Meetra chuckled. "Well you are basically that, I'm afraid. You were pretty banged up. I had a hard time finding replacement parts that still worked."

"Oh my. Oh my. How bad was it?" T5 questioned, sounding frail.

"Uh, well basically you were a head, core processor and chassis."

"That does not sound _so_ _terrible_."

"…of three different droids." Meetra finished delicately as she adjusted some circuitry in T5's arm.

" Oh, almighty creator! What did I do to deserve this?" T5 wailed. "You didn't use any ET-74 parts did you?"

"Uh… no actually." Meetra responded. "Why?"

"Oh _thank you_. If the other's saw me with even a scrap of that ET-74's useless stone age mechanics I would have been sent out to one of the farms, or something even more degrading, if they did not melt me down for refurbished alloy platting _on the spot_."

Meetra patted his arm sympathetically and stepped back. "Well you don't have anything to worry about then. No _stone age mechanics _to speak of. There, try the arm."

T5 rotated it's arm, bending it up and down, showing off Meetra's handy work with delight. "Thank you Master Jedi. Your skill is much appreciated."

"It was nothing." Meetra went back to the workbench and replaced the tools to their places. "Tell me T5, how did you know I was a Jedi?"

"Are you not?"

"No, I am, but there hasn't been many who've come through here since the Enclave was abandoned." Meetra replied, turning to observe him.

"_Abandoned_? Surely you are mistaken. The Jedi have inhabited this training facility since I was first rolled off the production line." T5 turned, tilted his head this way and that, as if to try and understand.

"This Enclave was attacked by the Sith six years ago." Meetra told him, surprised he was not privy to that information. "The Jedi stationed here were either killed or they abandoned this location long ago."

"That cannot be possible!" T5 exclaimed. "I have no memory of the event. I would have something in my memory banks… I do not understand."

"Considering you were in pieces, could you have been here _during_ the attack? That would explain the carbon etching on all the parts collected. We did find some droid wreckage in the rubble. Maybe the others found you somewhere in the ruins and brought you here." Meetra explained. "Try searching your memory core. You could have suppressed the memory files from the attack. It's not uncommon for droids to do that during events like that. You have the memories, you just need to _look _for them."

"That is highly disturbing but I shall try and access the files from my memory bank." T5 replied helpfully. "It might take a few moments."

"Take your time." Meetra returned to the computer console and prepared for an external link, should T5 find anything, then stood back and waited.

GE3-T5 processed his memory banks for only a moment or two before he began to mutter painfully.

"Oh my, oh my… oh my, my."

"What is it, did you find something?" Meetra questioned, suddenly very much alert.

T5 rose his eyes to hers and gave her a nod. "I believe I have found what you requested Master Jedi."

"Well here." Meetra motioned him toward to the console and held out a datalink to him. "Can you upload the files onto the console?"

"I believe so."

Meetra attached to link to him and T5 got to work. It took even less time for him to upload the data but when the console flashed that the upload was complete, he turned his head to Meetra and said with a despondent voice

"It was terrible Master Jedi. _Terrible_." With that he dropped his head sadly.

Meetra regarded the droid with sympathy. She wanted to know what had happened but from the look of this droid she became uncertain if she _truly wanted_ to know. Uncertain if she wanted to actually 'be there'.

"Can you tell me anything else T5?" She inquired instead, saving the video of the assault on the command console for later. "Anything about what your job was while you worked here along side the Jedi?"

"Why I was a personal assistance droid, purchased for Master Jedi Hathor Jorakk."

"Hathor Jorakk?" Meetra asked with surprise. She knew that name.

"Yes Master. Do you know Master Jorakk?" T5 inquired, sounding hopeful if not surprised.

"His name does sound familiar. I was stationed here as an Apprentice, before the war." Meetra replied. "Who was Master Jorakk?"

"He was the Enclave's chief medical personal." GE3-T5 replied. "He organized several droids, such as myself, and taught several students at any given time."

Meetra smiled at the droid's apparent pride in his master. She did not remember Jorakk personally but she did remember a fair haired Jedi Master working in the background while a droid patched her up after she got hurt at the Enclave. Actually, this information that T5 was a medical droid was good news, he could take over the responsibility of the medlab. Mical would surely be pleased to be relieved of that duty.

"How long were you at the Enclave, with Master Jorakk? You said you were there since you were first created?"

"Yes. I was under the employ of Master Jorakk for twenty cycles."

"Twenty? That's impressive." Meetra responded. Usually droids were replaced. "Master Jorakk must have been pleased with your work."

"He was indeed." T5 replied modestly. "He expressed such sentiments on a regular basis, seeing as his schedule was quite often filled with young ones learning many different skills from him, both practical medical knowledge and other medical techniques with the help of the Force."

"Impressive." Meetra nodded, quite impressed with this droid herself, especially the reverent tone in which he made mention of the Force. "Did you come in contact with many others during your assistance of Master Jorakk?"

"I came in contact with many Jedi and visitors to the Enclave during my time here. Some of which I believe the Jedi Council on whole did not approve of, or so Master Jorakk would mention time and again."

"_Oh really_?" Meetra asked with interest.

"During the war many things changed, the Enclave both gained and lost students, if not refugees for a time. I do remember a certain family in particular who came to stay under the protection of Master Vandar close to the end of the war. I do not remember the details of the family, besides their tarnished reputations, but they had something to do with a Padawan from Coruscant murdering his fellow students."

"_Zayne Carrick_?" Meetra breathed, hardly believing it.

"If that is the name, then yes. I was never spoken to directly in regard to that family but I did hear Master Jorakk mention it in passing a time or two." T5 replied, making him sound quite human.

Meetra couldn't believe it. _Zayne Carrick_. The first news she heard about that Padawan seemed like lightyears away. He had been a friend of Alek's, along with some Arkanian and Mandalorian deserter, during the war before and after he adopted the name 'Malak'. Meetra had remembered hearing about them in passing from Alek himself a number of times, but she had never known Master Vandar had taken his family in, _here at the Enclave_. She actually never thought she'd hear that name again after what happened on Coruscant. She wondered what had ever happened to him.

"What ever happened to the family?"

"They remained at the Enclave for a time then were relocated once the threats against their lives were dissolved with the events surrounding the Draay Estate on Coruscant." T5 explained easily.

Meetra nodded. She knew all about the Draay's. She had heard much of it from Revan's own lips, in truth. He had always been reluctant of the family's subtle but vicelike grip on the Council, even despite their funding in the past and strong Force sensitive history. He had never liked their noble views and tendency for teaching select gifted students _privately_. Meetra wasn't even surprised that family had been behind the events of Zayne Carrick being accused of murder.

"Do you know what ever came of the son, Zayne Carrick?" Meetra couldn't help but ask.

"No. I am afraid I know nothing of him."

Meetra passed the subject over, she was simply curious, it was worth a try. "What else can you tell me T5?"

"A great number of things, I believe. I am greatly satisfied to be able to communicate once again, so much so I will gladly tell you anything you wish to know." He responded pleasantly.

Meetra smiled, pleased with the droid's optimism. "Do you have any information on the Jedi in your databanks?"

"Master Jorakk programmed me with substantial knowledge on the Jedi. He enjoyed discussing a great many things while he worked."

"Really? What kind of things?"

"We had numerous conversations on the Jedi Code, or techniques in particular. He spoke often of training, ways in which to tap into a students potential-"

"Did he ever mention _how to know who should be taught_? How to find those Force sensitive?" Meetra interrupted, unable to help herself.

T5 was silent a moment then "I do not believe so. Master Jorakk was a medical expert, he did not partake in finding potential students."

"Oh… yes, I guess not." Meetra frowned, disappointed yet again but then she saw a glimmer of hope and took a chance. "Do you know who was?"

"Oh yes. For the most part students were simply sent here from other Temples throughout the galaxy but there were several Jedi Masters in particular, whom were given the task, which came through this Enclave quite regularly."

"Do you know where I might find any information on them?" Meetra asked suddenly, anticipating much more with his comment.

"This Enclave has housed much information for a century if not more. There should be files in the database concerning such things I would imagine." T5 responded resolutely.

"Yes, we've looked but there are more corrupted files then we know what to do with. Much has been damaged in the attack. Is there an external database? Or backup system?"

"Maintenance should be able to help you with that."

"And I would appreciate that, but they all left when the Enclave was attacked. No one is here but my crew, and we've come from _all over_." Meetra responded, quite peevishly. _Had he been listening at all?_

T5 tilted his head curiously. "Surely _not all _have abandoned this Enclave, seeing as I am still inhabiting it."

Meetra frowned… then it sunk it.

"D_roids_."

"Indeed Master Jedi."

"They did most of the work around here anyway, usually controlled by one sentient overseer. You said it yourself, Master Joraak was in charge of several droids. It freed up more Jedi for training." Meetra grinned and grabbed T5 by the cold alloy shoulders. "_The droids_! We can use the droids to replace the corrupted files."

T5 staggered on his feet. "Yes Master Jedi, '_droids__'_. Although I do resent the height of your surprise. Droids are highly efficient, I am ashamed it had to be _'__one of us__'_to state our own merit."

"You don't need to convince _me_ of their merit." Meetra replied with delight. "Come, I've got some friends I'd like to you meet."

GE3-T5 was absolutely thrilled to meet Meetra's other mechanical companions. Expressing both awe and amazement over HK-47- which didn't help with his ego, and respectful dominance over T3, which he did not appreciate- _as per usual_. If that wasn't enough, as soon as T5 saw Bao-Dur -helping Mical with the files- he could not help himself from showering the Iradonian with intent fascination over his souvenir from the war, nor his expertise on all things mechanical.

. . .

The next morning, after dragging herself from her warm bed in the silent dormitory of the Hawk, Meetra dressed in a simple outfit, then headed out and found an unoccupied meditation chamber on one of the lower levels. She found great comfort in meditation, it had never failed her when she relied upon it. It gave her something to focus on, a useful tool she could always employ to better herself.

She spent a good hour or two there, sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, focusing on the Force and letting it's power refine her. When she finally pulled herself away, she stood and found herself calmer then before. More attuned to the Force's affinity.

That done, feeling more centered, Meetra headed back up to the ground level of the Enclave and went in search of T3. She figured work was the best distraction for her at the moment, but she was also curious how the new addition was doing. If not more curious to see if they had recovered anything from the old files yet.

She made her way easily through the Enclave halls, not seeing or hearing a soul until she neared the droid center and met Mira in the hall toting a tray with various empty dishes loaded upon it.

"Mira." Meetra managed a little smirk as she motioned to the tray. "What's this? _Cleaning_?"

"Very funny. You have something against eating?" Mira retorted with annoyance.

"Not at all."

"Well then, _hence the tray_."

"You helping T3 and T5?" Meetra questioned, curiously, but with ease.

"No. I'm on a date with the Zabrack." Mira returned with an arched brow. "Speaking of which, that boy of yours seems to be in a state this morning. You reject him or something?"

"What?" Meetra frowned. "_Who_?"

"Rand. Saw him head out to garage at the crack of dawn. Been out there since, elbow deep in grease and engine parts. I've never seen a man work like that without a woman biting his back, so what is it? _What happened_?" Mira replied starkly.

"Nothing." Meetra defended. "I haven't seen him at all lately. How could I?"

Mira raised her brow accusingly.

"Mira. _Nothing happened_." Meetra repeated emphatically.

"Yeah, I'll believe that once you stop emitting all those vibes in his direction. I'm not blind you know, I know you've got the hots for the pilot."

Meetra's jaw grew slack. She couldn't believe the gall of this woman.

"At least I'm honest with what I want. You and that boy are a different story. You both refuse to acknowledge there's something between you, so much _it__'__s painful_. So give us a break Boss. Stop denying it, hook up the coupling and give us all some bloody peace and quiet." Mira chirped, with a hand on her hip and the other holding the tray extended with the ease of a cantina waitress.

"What are you talking about?" Meetra questioned, recovering from her shock of Mira's frankness. "Atton and I are fine with our relationship. We're friends, allies… _that__'__s it_."

"You ever ask him what he wants, because I'm pretty sure he didn't join this chaos trip just to be a good friend and watch your back. Not after all the kark you've put him through because of this _o-holy mission _through the galaxy." Mira responded frankly.

Meetra frowned. "What are you talking about? I've never put him-"

"_Oh really_?" Mira narrowed her gaze with disappointment. "You _really_ want to play the innocent card?"

"Mira, I seriously don't-"

"Ok. Fine. Nar Shadda, GOTO's yacht? Forget about that? What about the secret mission on Duxn?" Mira queried with an arched brow showing nothing like a lack of inspiration.

"I never put him up to that rescue mission above Nar Shadda. That was his choice, I had no influence there." Meetra defended quickly. "And Duxn-"

"Did you ever ask him about it?" Mira questioned, here her tone lowered showing her seriousness.

Mira had been there. She had fought next to Atton and Bao-Dur inside the old Sith tomb. Meetra had spoke to Bao-Dur and Mira about what had happened, but Atton had never showed much interest in what had occurred during his first command without her. He had been the same man when he returned as he was when he had set out. She hadn't worried about him. She had been consumed, if not concerned, with the first sight of Kavar in years when it had happened. She hadn't been as mentally present during that time, as she might have wished. However, Atton hadn't seemed put out by it. He had understood what was going on with her.

"He never seemed troubled like you or Bao-Dur." Meetra confessed a little sheepishly, as if counselled for neglecting her responsibilities. "I asked but he just shrugged it off. Said there wasn't nothing you all couldn't handle. I didn't worry about him like I did you two."

Mira frowned and headed off down the hall. "Well, _maybe you should_."

Meetra remained fixed where she stood in the hall, staring at the place Mira had occupied. She skipped back in her memories to the days surrounding their confinement on Duxn, their friendship with Mandalore and their visit to Onderon. Then she thought about their return, shortly after. Duxn had been difficult for her. Not only because it was where Kavar was but because it had been where the war had started for her. It's surface held many memories she had been uncertain she wanted to face. So it was normal that the entire time she walked it's surface she was consumed by her own thoughts, at times so much so that she didn't notice changes among the crew.

She wondered how, though, she had noticed the difference in Mira and Bao-Dur after their task of clearing out Freeda Nadd's tomb _when she had not felt it within Atton_.

_Had that changed him? Had she been to blame? _Meetra frowned at the thought. _Was Mira right? Had she put him through hell, just because she could__…__ because he was willing to do it for her? _

Meetra wanted to deny it all, she wanted to believe Mira was lying but a sickening sense of guilt wormed up into her gut and coiled there, making her cringe.

_Am I taking advantage of him?_

A short time later, Meetra stood in the shadow's of the doorway looking out over the shambled garage. She watched Atton working on the swoop bike they had liberated from the effects left behind from the mercenaries some weeks ago. Sleeves rolled up to his elbows, streaked with oil. Parts strewn out on the floor around him. His face set in a determined yet consumed expression of pure concentration.

She hadn't spoken to Atton in days. Not since before she locked herself up in the sublevel and constructed T5 at any rate. She missed their conversations and his easy smile but Meetra didn't even entertain the thought of walking into the garage and picking up where they had left off.

Meetra didn't know how long she stood there, but she studied him. Wanting desperately to have her questions answered. _Those questions of what was right and what was wrong_. Her life was changing along side everyone else's in the galaxy. Her past was behind her. She could do anything she wished. Go anywhere. _Be with anyone. _Yet she was fraught with uncertainty. _Why_?

Meetra wished she had someone to talk to about these things. She wished she had a neutral ally to advise her. _She wished she had Revan_. She missed their conversations. Even though it had been years since they had been together, speaking as they did. She missed learning from him, listening to his calm decisive counsel and instruction. She missed his easy smile and commanding presence. _He knew what she was going through_. He had challenged the rules. He had broken free of tradition and nothing had stopped him from having what he wanted.

Meetra exhaled a tight sigh of jealousy for her old friend. _Why had it been so easy for Revan? _After all he had been through he had still taken all he wanted and protected it from the galaxy. Against all odds he received _everything_ he wanted.

Meetra watched Atton work and was torn. Out of everyone she knew, he was the most determined in the belief that they should be together, _that they could make it work_. She knew if she let him he _could_ convince her of it. Part of her wanted him to, but at the same time she knew she couldn't let herself fall that easily. She needed someone who knew her, knew what she needed as well. _She needed Revan_.

Meetra turned and returned inside the Enclave, heading below to find some work to distract her like she had intended before meeting Mira. Work would help. _It always did_.

* * *

: I hope you liked the addition of a little history weaving in here with Zayne. I loved his character in the comics and his friendship with Alek (Malak) so I loved adding mention of it in the fic.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Denial**

As if that talk with Mira had wounded Meetra, personally searing her conscious, it caused her to dive headfirst into her work. She spent the majority of her time with T3 working through the logistical side of things for the rebuilding project but she liked it that way. She loved her little astromech droid, and considering that T5 had found some information that might of identified the fiery little astromech droid as once being involved with Revan after his alignment with the Republic, it made him all the more dear.

Meetra was working on a particularly challenging computer relay conduit on the wall outside the main chamber when she was interrupted by Atton's unscheduled arrival.

He and Bao-Dur had been working tirelessly in the shop the past few days and he looked like a true Talus V mechanic, smeared with sweat and grease. His coveralls unzipped to his waist and tied around his waist, his grey muscle shirt accentuating his expertly toned arms and broad chest.

However, Meetra barely glanced at him as she noticed him approach. She just wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and spoke to T3 on the comm, who was down in the control room flipping switches.

"Hey." Atton greeted her, looking her up and down with rather evident delight.

Meetra too had been working hard and considering the sweltering heat of Dantooine these days, and the apparent broken temperature controls, it felt like it was slowly turning into the Dune Sea. Especially in this section of the Enclave. Her blue coveralls, like Atton's, were unzipped to the waist and tied around her middle. Her black muscle shirt clinging to her slender athletic frame.

Atton's eyes washed over her, taking in every detail from her determined scowl directed at the console before her, to the old scars marring her tanned skin, to the box of well used tools at her feet.

"I thought you might need a break. Want to grab some food?" Atton questioned, in vain trying to divert her attention from the sparking console.

Meetra ignored him and picked up her comm again.

"Try it now." She ordered and waited. In a second the console shot sparks out towards her, one conduit arching across to an adjacent one like a dangerous stray lightning bolt. "Shut it off!"

The conduit powered down and T3's agitated reply echoed from the comm device in Meetra's hand.

"Yeah, I know. I know. Give me a second." She retorted hastily and set the comm aside, picking up her hyprospanner.

"What's the problem?" Aton inquired, coming closer and examining the console for himself.

"T3's determined we can minimize electrode mismanagement by bypassing the bio fuse but that just killed the temp control in this section so now I'm _trying_ to fix it." Meetra retorted, retching hard on a conduit with her hyprospanner.

She and Atton still hadn't addressed the distance between them yet, making her wonder what he truly wanted, but she didn't have time for that right now. She pulled out an old fuse circuit and tossed it onto the floor by her feet, retrieving a new one and inserting it in the old one's place.

Atton frowned. That was a serious problem, not to mention the inconvenience. It was sweltering in this section. However, true to his nature, Atton couldn't help but notice how great Meetra looked. They hadn't spoken in days and he had been beginning to feel the separation take it's toll. Allowing his eyes to wash over her, right down and dirty in the console, his lips curved into a careful smile as her toned arms flexed like cables of muscles moving beneath her skin.

Even with their distance and tension lately, Atton couldn't deny it, she was beautiful in more ways then one.

Meetra picked up her comm. "There. Try it again. Start with minimal power."

The conduit came alive again with it's natural light blue aura of light and maintained it's glow. Meetra sighed.

"Slowly take it up." She commanded and the console slowly came alive. It hummed like a baby Ewok.

"Success." Atton smirked and leaned against the wall casually. "Nice work Surik."

Meetra smirked and, satisfied with her work, collected her tools into the box they came from then stood up straight. Closing the conduit casement, she turned to Atton finally.

"Hey." Atton smirked, as if he had just arrived on the scene now instead of three minutes ago.

Meetra exhaled a smile of her own and sighed with a flare of exhaustion. "Hey."

"All good now? I feel like I haven't see you in years. Have some pity and catch a drink with me, come on, I'll even teach you _how_."

"Cut it out Rand." Meetra smirked, leaning against the steel wall plating and grabbing her canteen, she took a generous sip of cold water.

"No, I'm serious. I haven't seen you around at all. Where've you been? I was starting to worry you'd taken off." He replied, folding his arms over his broad chest.

Meetra locked her eyes with his, wanting desperately to ask him the same thing. Wanting so badly to ask all the questions she knew she shouldn't. Thankfully, she caught herself before she did do something really embarrassing like that. As much as she wanted to know what was going on with him, she was sure she wasn't ready to have _that_ conversation with Atton. Besides, Meetra had never been the type to pull the emotional woman card and start pouring out her feelings.

"No. I've just been busy. Lots to do, _you know_." She shrugged, fooling even herself as she slipped the lid of her canteen back on and tightened it.

"Yeah, Visas has been acting like Sith overseeing the Council Chamber repairs." Atton replied with a smirk.

Meetra, glad to see Atton's familiar charming rogue quality replacing the distant brooding character that had inhabited his body of late, chuckled.

"I can just imagine."

"So what have you been up to, besides fixing the trash compactor's mistakes?" Atton questioned with a smile.

"It wasn't his fault." Meetra replied, rolling her eyes at his never ending scepticism for any machine. "This is old equipment. But yeah, I've been working with T3 a lot… and things have been good."

"Have they?"

Meetra met his gaze and immediately felt herself hesitate. She refused to answer, instead pushed some hair that had escaped her braid away from her eyes and moved to cross her arms when Atton abandoned the wall and walked straight over to her. His smile was gone.

Meetra frowned, cautiously watching him approach her so directly. _What was he doing_? Wary, Meetra made a move to side step him and go back to work but when Atton seized her arm- she knew. She jerked it away.

"Atton." She warned, her voice dropped dangerously low. "_Don__'__t_."

Meetra glared at him. She knew what he was going for, what he wanted to see. Her arm. He must have seen the bruise. Where she had injected stims… countless times to little avail. She knew he wouldn't understand. He was so protective of her. To him she was 'pure', she wasn't capable of things like this. Part of her wanted to remain that way, pure and innocent in his eyes, and protect him from the truth but he was too strong.

"What the hell is this?" He questioned frostily, his hands brushing the raised mark on the inside of her right arm as he looked at the tender black spider-like bruise surrounding it.

"Nothing." Meetra tried to pull away again but it was no use.

Atton held her arm tightly, turned up to catch the light of the nearby lighting panel then released her. His eyes were etched with a darkness she'd rarely seen.

"Meetra. _What the hell _is that from?"

Meetra clenched her jaw. Too stubborn to reply. Too angry to be found out.

"Is that from stims?" He asked, his tone quiet and rather dangerously hitched with warning as his finger brushed the pin prick of entry amidst the bruising.

"You inject stims in your leg, _hotshot_." Meetra growled, trying in earnest to refuse the idea but Atton didn't buy it.

"Yeah, except they reach the heart faster when injected in your arm. Any battle hardened solider, _like you, _would know that." He replied, still not giving her an inch. _He already knew_. "How many did it take for a bruise like that?"

Meetra averted her eyes, glancing down the corridor in frustration. She was cornered, yet she still couldn't dignify his accusations with a reply.

"Four? Five? Seven… Ten? _Meetra_-"

"Just shove off, Rand. Ok?" She snapped, glaring up at him with nothing but disgust for herself. "_I don__'__t remember _how many there were."

Atton raised his chin, not at all surprised by her confession. His eyes flashed with defiance. "Did they help with the nightmares?"

Meetra stared at him, not believing his heartless tone nor his reply. _He was mocking her_. He was mocking her pain… _Atton Rand_.

Meetra turned away then, suddenly and just left him standing there.

"Meetra." Atton called after her, his tone much less demanding and much more entreating. He regretted opening his mouth as soon as the words tumbled out but she wouldn't listen.

Meetra ignored him completely and stalked down the corridor alone, abandoning her promise to T3 that they would tackle the other conduits that afternoon. She needed some solitude. She needed to breath and she couldn't do that here with everything struggling to chock her.

. . .

Walking out of the courtyard into the plains of Dantooine, Meetra went several yards before stopping and sitting down silently in the long dry grass. She closed her eyes, just letting the wind pull and tug at her. Just letting the sun warm her face. She knew she needed to meditate and center herself but with her emotions little less then a tangled web, she could hardly make any sense of them, let alone find a place to begin.

In inviting Carth Onasi to visit the Enclave, Meetra had hoped it would have been able to help her put some of her past behind her. Her anxieties of the past and quell her desires to hear from Revan… to hear about him. Sadly the peace of mind his intended visit brought was hollow. Soon after Mical confirmed the Admiral's visit, Meetra slipped back into her previous worries and anxieties. Her late nights holed up in the Hawk with her stash of stims and gnawing guilt, only returned with a vengeance.

Frustrated tears filled her eyes, making her want to scream. She'd never felt as helplessly stupid and vulnerable as she did now. In the Enclave, she couldn't hide her self-loathing, and she couldn't here either. Not after being faced with Atton's disapproval.

The image of Revan, standing before her on the command deck of his flagship after Malachor V, flashed through her mind. His dark eyes gazing down at her, devoid of any compassion. His lips set in a firm line. His chin raised, not allowing her an opportunity to explain. It had been one of the few times he had been devoid of his mask during the war, but he had done it so she could see his face. So she could face of the man she had disappointed. Suddenly, despite knowing the truth about that day, Meetra relived all those emotions but this time with Atton in Revan's place.

Meetra ran her hands over her face and pushed back her hair, staring up at the sky with closed eyes as she shrunk deep within herself. Self pity was a terrible thing, she knew it was, but at this moment she felt as worthless as she had on that day… and it was difficult to stay afloat in such an emotional storm.

"Surik?"

Meetra flinched at the sound of his voice. Her eyes opened, still staring at the sky, but she slowly lowered her face. She didn't like being caught unaware, especially at times like this… _especially by him_. He was behind her, but he was approaching. Meetra took a deep breath, collecting herself as best as she could then stood and turned to face him.

"Look. I'm-"

"It's fine." Meetra coldly cut him off with a wave of her hand before she smoothed her wind blown hair. "Doesn't matter."

"Yes it does." Atton frowned.

He was angry and conflicted before, yes he hadn't expressed himself very well but he regretted it wholeheartedly. He had always felt a fierce concern for Meetra Surik, but now it was rivalled for his frustration _not_ to be a part of her life. To _not_ be privy to her problems and a solution to her fear and anxiety.

He wanted to help her, to protect her. He had told her this when he asked her to train him as a Jedi but that hadn't meant he only wanted to protect her against the Sith, he wanted to protect her from anything, _even if it meant from herself _as much as anyone else. He thought she knew that.

"I was an ass. I'm sorry." He continued. "I didn't mean anything I said."

Meetra was silent. She wanted to refuse him but she felt too weak.

"I was just concerned Mee." He pleaded, trying to make her see. "…and angry. Frustrated you didn't tell me about this sooner."

"There's nothing to tell." Meetra replied stubbornly, meeting his eye for the first time.

Atton's jaw tensed. She was irritating him with her misdirected stubbornness but he chose to ignore it. At least for now.

"You're wrong."

"Excuse me?" Meetra frowned. _Who was he to tell her what she could or couldn__'__t do?_

"Everyone here needs you fighting-fit, Surik, and right now your not doing a very good job of it." Atton replied. "And yeah, I know you're going to refuse my advice because you're stubborn as hell, but I don't care. Be angry with me if you want to be but you can't do this alone anymore."

Meetra opened her mouth to retort to that, to put his comment down but Atton came forward and seized her arm again.

"You can't tell me your fine because I don't believe you. Is this what doing good looks like?" He asked, his eyes never leaving her face.

Meetra frowned, averting her gaze. He was right, she _was_ struggling, but there was nothing else.

"This is what you were going to do that night wasn't it? …When you showed up at my door?" Atton questioned, rapidly uncovering every stone of truth. "That's what you did then and what you've been doing again. You work like a slave in this Enclave every day and then every night you slip out to the Hawk and overdose on stims. Isn't it?"

Meetra glared at him. Angry he could read her so easily. Angry at herself for letting him, but refused to answer. He didn't need an answer. He knew he was right.

Atton let go of her and turned away, agitated, he rubbed his face with his hands and stared off at the hilly landscape encasing them in the valley before turning and regarding her with pain.

"What happened to you Surik?"

Meetra just stared at him, that question not just finding a frailty in her resolve but prying it wide open and piercing through the weak unprotected flesh like venom. Bitter tears glazed her eyes.

"_What happened _to me?" She barked, frustration and anxiety seizing her like a gale force wind. "Have you any idea what it's like for me to be back here? …Where everything started."

"Yeah sure, it's hard but you were doing so well. Back when we got word about the-" Atton defended.

Meetra scoffed, her heart contracting with pain. "Sure. _I was great. _Planning to be surrounded by men and woman who quite possibly were Revan's closest companions while _I_ wandered the edge of the galaxy looking for some way to _end_ my agony."

Atton frowned. Then simple mention of Revan made him feel cold and distant.

"And now they're on their way and I'm here, _waiting_. Fighting everything I've worked so hard to put behind me. I am bombarded with the voices of Jedi… of teachers and mentors, _that I killed_, _everyday_. I am forced to endure the sound of their voices reminding me of what I did so the Republic could live!" Meetra frowned darkly. "So don't you dare ask me what happened to me."

"Hell Mee, _you didn__'__t kill them_!" Atton exclaimed strongly. "_Malak_ did. He killed them. _All of them_. Not you. Stop blaming-"

"Stop blaming myself?" Meetra cried, anger welling up inside her like a dangerous plague. "Alek, Revan and I were in this together. _I am responsible for this_. I saw it happening. I watched them turn! I didn't stop them. I would have turned too if things had gone differently at Malachor."

"And I don't blame you!" Atton retorted passionately. "I followed, why shouldn't you of made that choice too, it was the only way. The Republic didn't deserve to survive."

"But they did." Meetra conceded, dropping her tone to a heartbreaking whisper. "They survived because it was Revan's plan. The same way as he let me live so I could revive the Jedi."

"What?" Atton frowned. "He's _still_ pulling the strings? Kark Mee, it's been ten years, you really have to let it go-"

"I can't! Can't you see? We're linked, he and I." Meetra exclaimed. "_We always will be_."

Atton stared at her. He _did not _like the sound of that.

Meetra dropped her eyes to the grass beneath her feet. Emphasising his every fear.

"Did you love him?"

Meetra closed her eyes, the dreaded question she had been waiting for since everyone had found out who she really was. She knew the rumours about her and Revan… she knew people wondered.

They were both silent a long time.

"It doesn't matter now." Meetra murmured, brushing it off.

Atton scoffed. "I think it does if you're still in contact with _the Prodigal Knight_, if he still controls your life even beyond the-"

"He doesn't control me!" Meetra snapped.

Atton frowned at her frostily. "It sure as hell seems that way."

Meetra glared at him. "Oh really? And what would you know?"

"I know what your boyfriend is _really like_." Atton snarled. "You forget who was in the war _after you left?_ Who stuck by his side and carried out his little vendetta's against the Jedi and their precious Republic?"

Meetra glared at him, wanting nothing more then to slap that self-righteous mocking smirk from his face. She wanted nothing more then to beat him for those words but alas she didn't. She just stood there and listened to him. Anger wasn't the Jedi way, self-control was.

"You have no idea what he was like. _That was n__o__t Revan_. I knew Revan."

"Oh, I'm sure you did." Atton frowned. "Just like you knew your precious Republic spy?"

Meetra's eyes flashed. "_You know _there is _NOTHING_ going on."

"Yeah? Why, cause you're still hung up on your ex-lord? He is married you know, or did you miss that little HOLOVID?" Atton frowned.

"No, you idiot, because-" Meetra bit her tongue. She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Because what?" Atton demanded, pushing her further and further. He stepped towards her, bitterly demanding an answer.

Meetra glanced around the empty valley, trying in vein to think of an alternative to the answer she knew she was going to have to confess, but found none. He must have known, because when his voice reached her ears his icy tone had dissolved into that of one accompanying a tender embrace.

"You need someone who can keep an eye on you, Surik. _Not Revan. Not_ Blondie… or anyone who's had a hold on you in the past. You need someone who's not tied to a side but'll look out for you when no one else is around… someone to keep you out of your own mind."

"I don't think…"

Meetra raised her eyes to his, finally meeting his gaze but Atton stopped her, stepping even closer. She shivered, her skin almost anticipating his touch… their closeness. As much as she had been angry with him moments before, those feelings melted away now.

Atton couldn't help but smile at her. Surprised but pleased he could effect her like that. _Who was he to make a Jedi shiver? _Then again he had done a great many things to Jedi during the war, a shiver was nothing, but he didn't want to think about that when he stood here with Meetra.

Meetra met his eyes and held his gaze, emboldening him. He abandoned his solid stance before her and brought his hand up to her face, tracing her sharp jaw line. _She was beautiful_. In everyone's eyes she was, but Atton felt like he was the only one that saw her true beauty. He knew her better then most, especially now, and that made her seem even more stunning in his eyes.

"Atton…" she whispered.

He smiled lightly. "Don't worry. I won't do anything stupid. …but you have to admit you need someone around to ward off the shadows. Trust me, it's worth having a friend at your side when you do."

"Sure but I don't know if it's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Atton." Meetra frowned. "Considering this is _us_ we're talking about, we both know it's not a good idea."

"What about 'us'?" Atton questioned, still dangerously close.

Meetra swallowed slowly, it took everything she had to keep her eyes from darting impulsively from his eyes to his lips and back.

"How you feel about me…" _*How I feel about you*_

Atton smirked. "Why's that a problem? You know and yet you're still here. Clearly it doesn't bother you."

"It doesn't but if we spend more time together…"

"Are you really _that afraid of the dark_?" Atton questioned, causing Meetra to shiver at his words. "Do you really think we would drive each other to the kind of madness we've seen in that witch and sleeps-with-vibroblades?"

Meetra held her tongue as she stared at Atton but a million words swam through her mind. Sad realizations, bitter responses, heartbroken confessions.

_*Yes. Yes I do believe we have endless evidence that we _would _drive each other to madness.* _Meetra confessed without words.

Atton's chest contracted, a breath catching in his throat as her words reached out to him and settled in his mind. Never before had Meetra actually confessed to their being anything between them.

_*Can__'__t you see?* _She continued. _*We__'__re not even together and we__'__re already displaying jealousy, anger and frustration. It would only worsen.*_

_*You really think that I would be jealous of your friendship with Blondie or Revan if I was the one who had you?* _Atton questioned incredulously. _*That any of that would matter anymore?*_

Meetra was silent. She couldn't deny it, yes, she did believe Atton's jealousy would still be a problem. Maybe he didn't believe so but she did.

Atton sighed. "Fine. Sure, ok. I get it. Maybe I do get a little carried away when it comes to you and who you spend your attention on but that's only because of the way I feel about you. Or how I think you're the most gifted woman I've ever met and you deserve the best… of everything."

Meetra cracked a charmed smile. "That's sweet of you to say but I'm not. And I don't deserve the best. Not of anything."

"Then we're a perfect match." Atton smirked. "I'm the furthest thing from perfect."

Meetra held her tongue but her lips curved into a tempted smile. It was purely because of his humour but taking advantage of this, Atton pulled her towards him, leaning his own face down to meet hers.

"Atton." She warned quickly, her whisper drawn, and her hand flat on his chest. "What are you doing?"

"I just want to try something."

Meetra held her breath, her eyes impulsively flickering closed as his lips approached hers. She felt her skin warm as his face paused millimetres from her face, his nose next to her own but his lips not claiming hers, yet. She waited, her chest rising and falling faster with each second that passed but still he just held the position, millimetres from her.

In those very short seconds Meetra thought about their continuous flirting over the past eighteen months, each moment growing more and more meaningful. Each smile boasting more weight then before. Each conversation full of guarded, covetous looks and unspoken words. Tension was now beginning to wreck havoc on them, she knew that now from their heated words moments before, but that had been inevitable. She knew things had been changing between them but she had never wanted to address it. For fear it would end their friendship for good. Not until now. Now, she wanted everything she had denied herself. _Even if she knew it would only end in pain_.

Thrusting her chin forward, Meetra's lips met his and within milliseconds she felt the hunger he had kept hidden sink it's claws into her. He gripped her neck with his strong hand and pulled her closer. All those months of denial relived… moments of silence. Of solitude.

From that moment she knew she had been right when she warned him about the effect forging a relationship would have on each other. She could feel it in his hunger as well as her own. They were not exempt from the Council's ardent warnings of the darker side of love. However, she didn't deny the emotions now filling her heart, she didn't stop him. She didn't want to. At least for a moment of weakness.

Somewhere, however, something from somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, made her push him back. She felt smaller, weaker… wounded more severely by that one involuntary action then she had already been but, now separated, she knew it had to be done. It had to or nothing would make sense anymore. Nothing she, or they, had worked so hard to accomplish these long months.

"Atton." She breathed, his face still inches from him but her hand firmly on his chest, holding them apart. Her eyes flickered to his. _She let him see her pain, and he, he let her see his disappointment. _"I can't. I'm sorry… I…"

Atton, against all odds, smirked. He rubbed the skin on her neck with his finger and flashed her a tender smirk.

"I know." He murmured. "I didn't expect you to just give up but I had to try."

Meetra smiled sadly, pain and heartbreak building swiftly in her heart. She wanted to say so many things to him right now but she couldn't make herself open her mouth. It would be too painful.

"Just promise me something, Sweetheart…" Atton continued. "… Don't follow Revan's footsteps and take off, leaving all ties behind."

Meetra blinked slowly, biting her tongue, her eyes pooling with tears. _How did he know she had been thinking about that_? She had every night since she had spoken to him during her unconsciousness aboard the Hawk.

"…Because I am not going anywhere. Not this time. I'm here, at your side, until one or both of us are dead." Atton smirked tenderly. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Meetra took a breath then peeled her cracked lips back. "How can you say that? Why would you want to make this any harder then it is? You know we can't be together."

Atton smirked and removed his hand from her neck to stroke her hair as if she were an innocent little child.

"Sure. Not like normal but they'll be times when that line get's blurred. Times you won't care, and I'll be there. I'm not looking for anything from you. I swear it'll never come to that but there'll be times in between when you need another saber on hand. When you'll need someone watching your back… someone to ward off the nightmares and keep you on the straight and narrow. That's why I'm going to stay."

Meetra searched his gaze and forced a smile. Sure, he had a troubled past, he was prone to anger and jealousy but he was a hell of a fighter and a wonderful spy. He was her friend. She loved him and he was right, _there would _be times when she'd need him in the future. He knew her so well, and he was telling her this without any bravado. He was being sincere and it truly touched her heart.

"You'd do that without having any claims on me? Without any attachments?" Meetra whispered, searching his face.

Atton smirked. "I think we're already past that checkpoint Surik."

Meetra blushed lightly. He was right, but that meant danger.

"…But don't worry. No one will know it from my end. I'll protect you. In any and every way I can… from _everything_."

Meetra smiled and shielded her eyes from the Dantooine sun, just marvelling at just how far this man had come since their first meeting. Atton must have read her mind because his lips curved into an irresistible smile as he pulled her just a little closer.

"You've changed a lot too, _Sweets_."

Meetra smirked and glanced away from his face, letting her eyes settle on his chest instead. She wanted to come back with something witty, something to diffuse the tension she could still sense between them but she couldn't get over how good it felt when he called her that, so easily. Raising her eyes back to his, she tried not to sound patronizing.

"I think we all have."

"Saving the galaxy just does that to a person, I guess." he shrugged, nonchalantly.

Meetra chuckled. His witty streak had always gone over well with her. He knew how to lighten a mood. Atton smirked at her, happy to see that familiar glint return to her eyes, but reluctantly released her from his grasp.

* * *

: I wanted to follow the pattern of KOTOR, in how you know Atton likes her very much but he isn't ready to commit to anything because neither is she. Instead of pursuing a very intimate relationship between the two like so many other writers have, I wanted to try to stick true to the game's characters as best as I could.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: An Admiral**

Finally the day came. The long awaited visit of Admiral Onasi.

Meetra was up and dressed in her chosen attire for the official visit, long before anyone else. She was anxious to meet the Admiral again, especially with the knowledge that he would be staying for three days but Meetra did her best not to show it. With only T5 and T3 for company, she waited for their arrival in the old Cerka shop, off to the side of the landing pad, working through some last minute details.

"So T3, you still haven't answered my question. Do you know Carth Onasi or not?" Meetra questioned, leaning on the workbench and peering down at her little friend. "T5 claims he is sure you were in the records of Revan's crew when he went off to confront Malak and destroy the Star Forge."

T3 beeped a vague nugatory response.

"You keep denying it and yet you refuse to be present to welcome Admiral Onasi when he and his companions arrive." T5 defended, sounding slightly suspicious. "It does not look like the evidence is stacking up in your favour, my little friend."

T3 chirped agitatedly.

"We're not ganging up on you." Meetra chuckled, yet she tried her best not too. Leave it to T3 to be so '_emotional_'. "We only want to know _if the records are correct_."

"Or if it is time for a memory wipe, seeing as some me-" T5 began but was cut off by some very sharp, very short chirps from T3. "Oh my!"

"What?" Meetra demanded, standing up straight and glancing between the two very different droids. "I didn't get that."

"Binary code." T5 puffed. "And some _very choice_ Dugg insults, as well."

Meetra bit back a laugh. She had heard T3 argue with HK and GOTO for months, she had also heard T3 mutter some very choice things about Atton and a few others time and again. It seemed he had developed a surly streak, not to mention a gritty ability of holding his own during a verbal sparring match.

"Why don't you take a break T5 and go find the others. The Admiral will be landing soon. I'll handle this."

"Very well Master Jedi." T5 replied obediently and turned to go but not before he gave T3 a little kick for good measure. T3 offered another round of 'binary code' chirps but T5 only muttered his response. "_Drama queen_."

Meetra covered a smile with her hand but when T3 turned his attention to her, muttering some annoyance which caused her to shrug.

"Protocol droids. What are you going to do?"

T3 offered a suggestion that forced Meetra to chuckle.

"T3!"

T3 chirped again, only emphasizing his suggestion's merit but Meetra shook her head.

"He's useful _when functional _too. Don't forget that. Just ignore him if he starts to annoy you, but you still have to work together so, please, try not to do anything rash."

T3 whirred sadly.

"It's alright. I mean you work with HK despite your problems, right?"

T3 couldn't deny that but he did state the more acceptable difference between the two droids.

Meetra sighed. "Assassin protocols or not, I expect you to play nice. Now, are you going to stay and meet the Admiral or not? I would like it if you did."

Despite her hopeful remark, T3 flat-out refused.

"Well alright. You'd better light out of here with your tail tucked then or he'll see you."

T3 beeped at her with disappointment.

Meetra chuckled. "It was a joke. I know you're not a coward."

T3 offered her a grateful remark then headed off without too much reluctance. It was clear he definitely did not want to stick around and meet the visitors. T3 never did go in for that kind of '_meet and greet__'_but considering it was a momentous occasion Meetra was _a little disappointed _to hear him stick with solitude. Everything aside though, she could understand his reluctance in such areas. _After being confiscated, tossed in an exhaust vent, stolen, __been subjected to a forced copying of memory files__, accused of everything under the sun, then threatened by assassin droids _and sold_- she wouldn__'__t trust very many people either. _

Meetra watched him roll across the landing pad and down into the Enclave just as Bao-Dur and Atton came up from it, passing him, and stepped into the sun. Meetra smiled and went out to meet them, dressed in their finest and looking incredibly sharp for the Admiral's visit.

Whereas Meetra was dressed in a more unconventional outfit for the occasion, her electro-mesh armour and a black robe, she was pleased to see Atton and Bao-Dur looking like more traditional Jedi. Seeing as Bao-Dur's arm limited the option of wearing robes like everyone else, however, he stuck with the dark Knight style tunic devoid of it's robe. In spite of being incomplete to the critical eye, the choice seemed to suit him.

"I'm glad you could make it." Meetra smiled upon meeting them on the edge of the landing pad. "I wasn't sure who was coming… I did think Mical would be here, though."

"Oh _Blondie_ will be here. He wouldn't miss this for the world." Atton smirked as he tugged at the sleeve of his dark brown robe. "He's probably just rehearsing in front of a mirror somewhere."

Meetra smirked. Glad Atton had come today with his witty humour in tact because she was pretty sure she was going to need all the encouragement she could get on this day.

"Is that what you're wearing?" Atton asked suddenly, frowning as he looked her up and down.

Meetra furrowed her brow, looking at herself.

"Atton." Bao-Dur frowned across at him, clearly not pleased with the pilot's choice of words.

"What's wrong with this?" Meetra questioned, meeting his gaze.

"Nothing." Boa-Dur replied kindly, then turned back to a cryptic Atton. "What she decides to wear is not your concern."

"No one told me this _wasn__'__t_ _fancy dress.__"_Atton smirked, tugging once more at his formal robes with annoyance. He missed his battle armour, even the weight of it, wearing him down. "I look like an idiot in these robes."

Meetra smirked and laid a hand on his arm.

"You look great." She assured him. "Every bit the Jedi Guardian."

Atton rolled his eyes, clearly not believing her, but smirked and tugged again at his robe. Meetra, for her part, ignored his sarcasm and turned her attention back to Bao-Dur.

"You ready?"

Bao-Dur's chest expanded slightly as he took a breath, stretching his dark grey tunic taught over his broad chest, then lowered as he released it. He met Meetra's eyes with a careful gentleness.

"I have been long affiliated with the Republic."

"Yes, but considering…" Meetra trailed off anxiously. She knew what she wanted to say and clearly Bao-Dur did as well because he squared his shoulders and gave her a softened look.

"I will treat him as any ally. The war is long over. I do not wish to hold the choices of warriors against them if they forgive us for our own." He told her.

Meetra laid her hand on his thick bicep and hooded her eyes, lowering her voice just for him.

"You're wise to believe so. Even though we have been working with the Republic, in my mind, I still find the allegiance… _strained_. All things considered." She told him in the purest of confidence. "I have to admit, I am ignoring those discretions for the sake of our futures alone… well… besides the fact that we have a mutual friend."

Bao-Dur's lips twitched into a little smile, as the far off noise of the Admiral's ship hummed in the distance, but Meetra's eyes never left his calm face.

"Then I hope you find the answers you seek."

Meetra took a deep breath but withheld her reply as Mical, Visas and Mira came up from the Enclave to join them. She gave Boa-Dur a weak smile then fell into line next to him. For now she was just another Jedi waiting for an Admiral. Another soldier waiting to be introduced and do their duty. _Or at least she felt like it. _

. . .

When the Admiral's shuttle had landed and powered down, the loading ramp lowered and Mical stepped forward to meet the Admiral as he immerged. Meetra and the others waited where they were, toes on the line as it were, for Mical to present him to them. It was only proper.

As he immerged, Meetra gave Carth Onasi a quick yet thorough examination. Although she had met him before, she did it now with the knowledge that he was also a friend of Revan's. It seemed odd, thinking about it now, that this Republic Admiral had been a friend of Revan's during that time in his life. However, the word was, Carth Onasi had been nothing but a solider during that time and Revan had always easily befriended soldiers.

Pulling herself back to the present, Meetra avoided the thoughts of her past life. Everything she had missed what this man had witnessed. Six years had passed since she had seen the victory ceremony on HOLONET after the destruction of the Star Forge. The Admiral looked different now then he did then, so much so that Meetra would never of recognized him.

Time always changed you though. Meetra could not deny that. She couldn't even think of all the changes the past eighteen months had brought her. Whatever had brought them together, Meetra was glad to have the chance of getting to know Admiral Onasi a little more. Even to have him on their side was huge, but to have someone with his past… _that was unthinkable_.

Admiral Onasi was a man in his early fifties, which as a soldier wasn't saying too much. Meetra knew soldiers who were seventy and still _jacked killing machines_… the majority of which were amongst her Mandalorian companions but the principal was the same. Admiral Onasi, however, had the look of familiarity about him as he came down the loading ramp and greeted Mical. It was as if he was far more active carrying out the politics of the military instead of holding an office in Coruscant where he read nothing but reports.

Admiral Onasi might have been moved to a desk job in the last few years but Meetra knew better then to peg him as a 'face' of the military. She had done her research. She knew his service record. It was a perk of having such… _accommodating_ droids.

Mical greeted each of the Admiral's companions, allowing Meetra more time to examine the group before she was called to step forward. She didn't much care for dignitaries, spending far too much time on the front lines of an issue then arguing about it. She wasn't a touchy-feely kind of person who believed in pleasantries and decorum. Some might have thought so but she was trained by the best teachers to get things done. Besides it wasn't in her blood. So she wasn't necessarily excited to entertain, that was Mical's forte not hers. Entertaining Admiral Onasi, however… _that was different. _

As if he could feel her eyes upon him, the Admiral turned and caught her eye. Once she gave him a nod out of respect he approached her, without any reservations and left the rest of his party behind with Mical.

"Admiral Onasi." Meetra said, shaking his offered hand. "I'm glad to see you could come after all. Mical was worried you might not."

"Meetra Surik…" Carth nodded in return then gave her a little smirk. "I guess I can't exactly call you '_Exile_' anymore, now can I?"

Meetra smirked, the rest of the crowd melting away into a dull drone of voices. "_Meetra_ is fine."

"Then _Carth_ is fine too. To be honest it doesn't feel right to be called anything else, being back here." Carth glanced around the open aired courtyard.

Meetra allowed her eyes to follow his. Taking in every detail. The courtyard, designed into a docking platform was small but well maintained. There was another, where the Hawk was housed, but this did well enough for visitors. It was the same docking platform that was used for visitors before the Enclave was destroyed by Malak.

"I understand you've been here before the attack, six years ago." Meetra inquired, unable to help herself.

Carth turned to her, opened his mouth to reply but closed it again as Mical appeared at his side with the others in tow.

"With your permission, Admiral, it is my task to show you to your quarters now. Then I believe a tour has been requested."

"I want to see how much has changed." The Ruitan female in the group spoke up, from behind Mical.

"Yes, thank you."

Carth nodded to Mical but smiling lightly for his vocal companion. He then turned to Meetra, to apologize no doubt, but she was already ahead of him.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. I have work to do but I'll join you all later." She turned to the others milling about. "I'll have the droids take care of your things."

"Thank you."

And with that, Mical lead the group away and back inside the Enclave, leaving Meetra to return to the old shop and her work within. In truth it wasn't pressing but it was a needed distraction. Once inside, Meetra tactfully reminded herself that she had a few days available to her before the Admiral had to return to his ship. She had _days_ available to her where she could talk to him about anything she wished, _she knew that_, but she still stared peevishly at the workbench. It still irked her that Mical had to go all 'diplomat' so promptly upon their arrival.

Meetra leaned her hands on the edge of the workbench and stared hard at the scattered parts before a shadow in the doorway annoyed her peripheral. With a deep sigh, she closed her eyes.

"What?"

A chuckle filled her ears that made her skin ripple. It was a sound that both gave her pleasure and annoyed the kark out of her- _depending on the moment uttered_- and this was much more the latter. Meetra's fingers tightened their grip on the workbench but she could both hear him approach her and feel the change in the air as he did.

"Not going according to plan?"

His voice filled her ears with such ease that it took her a moment to focus. She swore she was somewhere else, a long time ago…

. . .

_When Meetra raised her eyes a different face met her. And he too was leaning against the workbench, but across from her. His fierce green eyes were flecked with amusement as the corners of his mouth were creased, which they always were when he smiled. Strands of his long brown hair had escaped it__'__s leather thong tied at the base of his neck. _

_In these moments he didn__'__t look like the savoir of the Republic. Like the greatest hope for a galaxy of crumbling worlds. He barely looked like it to her but even under the dim glow of artificial light in some small tech station, he looked like he could do _anything_. Meetra missed that, almost as much as she missed his friendship or his wisdom. That ability to do anything__…_be anyone_, for millions who he didn__'__t owe a single thing to. _

_Meetra opened her mouth to speak, or at least to urge him to speak. Just so she could hear his voice again. Even if it was only to annoy her with some remark to accompany his taunting gaze, but it didn__'__t come. She slipped back into the present and back to an entirely different taunting smile and set of eyes. Back to the only man who had ever tried to rival the previous__'__ place in her heart and mind._

. . .

Atton frowned, his amusement lagging slightly as Meetra didn't move. She was staring off at some blank spot on the wall. This had happened before, it was almost like she took a leave of reality and forgot to stay observant of reality. It made him uneasy every time this happened, like he was being left out of a much larger loop then normal. He watched her carefully, hoping for a reply but none came. The eerie silence gripped him with an uneasiness.

"Surik?"

Only then did Meetra manage to shake the image of Revan gazing across at her from the opposite side of the work bench. She raised her eyes to meet Atton's but then avoided his gaze when she read concern etching his look. A numb guilt covered her mind like a black veil.

She was tired of receiving his unending sympathy and kind looks. She didn't feel deserving enough for the length of rope he gave her, nor of the open arms or tender tone that was always offered. It was extremely loyal and kind of him but she felt like retreating more and more from his kindness. _She didn__'__t deserve him_. Not when he only thought of her and she only thought of her past.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Meetra muttered, her hands eager to get back to work with the droid parts before her. "Can I help with something?"

"Actually I was going to ask you the same thing."

Meetra was silent a moment, tensing her jaw, as she thought quickly of some excuse for work to assign him to.

"Uh yeah, you can have some of the protocol droids come up and set up the guest rooms with the Admiral, and his companion's things." Meetra replied, not looking at anything but the parts her fingers were working with.

Atton was silent a moment. He thought of clarifying his previous comment, _linking it more obviously to her_ but he decided against it. Meetra was holding back, he could sense it, and he didn't like it. Even if it was because of the Admiral's visit and her past catching up with her. _He was only trying to help._

"Yeah, sure." Atton mumbled and turned away.

Without trying Meetra could feel the same old wall go up within him. The same cold indifference she had sensed within him when they met, when she asked him about his Echani training for the first time… when he spoke of the Jedi during the war.

As much as Meetra didn't want to allow anyone '_in_' at the moment, it hurt to know she had been the one to make him throw that wall up. Bitterly, she refused to allow herself to cast him a retreating glance out of sympathy, but instead kept focused on the workbench and her mind blocked off from any outside forces.

She didn't mean to push him away, especially now, but she couldn't let him see what was happening. She couldn't let anyone see that she was already loosing her grip on reality. She was loosing control just to be faced with someone from Reavn's past, and she couldn't understand why.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: A Surprising Conversation**

After commanding a small troop of Enclave droids to move the guests things into the prepared rooms, Atton went in search of a drink. He always thought better with a little buzz, and he figured it would be helpful in maintaining his '_good behaviour__'_for the benefit of those visiting. Of course it had been all Mical's idea, giving everyone strict instructions on proper etiquette and decorum- to promote good relations, but Meetra had endorsed them.

Atton sat down in the Mess Hall with his drink and turned the glass in his hands peevishly as he thought about this whole affair. He understood the necessity of having friends amongst the Republic backing them. _It would definitely help establish the Jedi in the galaxy once again_. Still, he didn't feel like he belonged here… on his best behaviour, playing tour guide to a bunch of Republic officers in hopes of establishing good relations. _It just wasn__'__t him_. Being a Jedi Master, let alone Grand Master, didn't suit him either but he'd gladly take that over _brownnoser_.

As he was sitting there, mulling over all the places he could be, things he could be doing instead of sitting here alone drinking so early in the day, he was joined unexpectedly by a new face. He hadn't even heard anyone enter the room. He just raised his eyes when a shadow passed over him and there stood the Rutain female from the Admiral's party.

Atton was able to suppress his surprise but he did glance around, expecting more people, but found none. It was only her. He was surprised actually. _Where did she come from_?

"Hey. This seat taken?" She inquired brightly, motioning to the empty seat across from him.

"No, go ahead."

The female took a the seat and lowered herself into it with slight enthusiasm. Her lips were creased in an almost perpetual smile, which made him curious. She was actually quite beautiful, for a Twi'leck. With large eyes and flawless blue skin. She was petite but somehow she looked like she could handle herself. Atton had seen enough sentients of many different backgrounds, to know _who_ _could_ handle themselves and _who could not_.

"I got tired of the historical tour." She remarked suddenly, as if an explanation was needed for her presence. "_All those facts and political stuff_, that's not my kind of thing so I decided to explore myself."

Atton smirked. "Yeah. _Blondie_ loves any excuse to educate the masses."

She chuckled at that. "Well I've been educated enough for one lifetime. I'll leave that for Carth. After all, he get's paid to listen to stuff like that- seeing as it's his job, after all."

Atton sat back and folded his arms over his chest, just listening to her go on. This girl was amusing. He liked that. It was a nice change. Besides her calling the Admiral by his first name meant there was a story there, and he was curious.

"Me, I'd much rather be _doing something_. Give me a computer console over a book any day." She smiled proudly, squaring her shoulders proudly. "I'm _Mission_ by the way."

"_Atton_." He smirked.

"Nice to meet you."

Atton nodded. The feeling was mutual, but he was curious. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here, if you're not a Republic agent here to listen to _Blondie_ negotiate the terms of establishing the Jedi in this galaxy again?"

"I'm here because Carth wanted to know if I wanted to come back to Dantooine. But also, because Dustil was coming. We're kind of _a thing_." Mission gave him a wink, causing him to chuckle.

"Well congrats on that." He replied, although he didn't know a thing about this girl or the guy she was talking about. "You're a good friend of the Admiral's I guess?"

"Oh yeah. Met him a long time ago when he crashed on Taris."

"_Taris_?" Atton questioned, arching his brow with suspicion.

Taris was destroyed six years ago. This girl couldn't have met the Admiral when she was very old if they had met on Taris. That, however, didn't stop him from withholding the urge to smile, to know the great Admiral Onasi had been through a rough landing or two. He was always been blamed for them, it felt good to know someone else had been through their fair share.

"Yeah. Right before Malak blew it to bits actually. We rode out of there on a crater." Mission replied, with a little bit of sentimentality etching her voice. "Then we came here. Bastila was pretty keen on it, and there is absolutely _no talking _Bastila out of something as soon as she's got it in her head."

Atton's mouth dried slightly. _Did she just say Bastila? As in Bastila Shan?_

Mission made no hint of noticing his sudden change because she just continued to ramble on. "I don't know why, though. When we came there wasn't anything here but this Enclave and fields of Kath Hounds. But then again she was pretty _by-the-book _back then, so her choice shouldn't of been surprising."

Suddenly she stopped and smirked at him, arching her brow.

"In case you're wondering what I think you are, yeah, _that is who I__'__m talking about_. I was part of that crew. With them from Taris to the Star Forge. Carth, Bastila and Revan. Not that we knew that's who he was back then."

Atton smirked. _As if_. _In all the galaxy__…__ in all the worlds, I__'__m sitting here with another personal friend of Reavn__'__s. I am sitting here with Mission Vao._

"That must have been one hell of a trip."

Mission chuckled. "Yeah. _Lots of drama_. But Carth told me a bit about your mission on the way here. Omitting certain security issues of course but that must have been something. I mean, sure, we were after Malak and a space station that doubled as a weapon's factory _but you guys_… you went after _three_ _Lords_. Didn't you?"

Atton leaned forward again, resting his forearms on the table and twisting his glass in his hand.

"Oh yeah. Lord of Pain, Hunger and Betrayal. Not to mention a power hungry ex-Jedi Master and her own personal army of Echani fighters. _It was great_."

"I'll bet."

Atton exhaled a chuckle. As much as he was surprised to find out _who_ _this girl was_, he was more surprised with how easy it was to talk to her. Sure they had been through similar things but still, they were _very_ different. Maybe it was just refreshing to just talk to someone new for a change.

"_So_… Carth said the woman who met us when we docked was Meetra Surik, _the Exile_." Mission remarked lightly. "I'm guessing she's someone pretty important to have a title like that."

Atton nodded. "She was one of Revan's most trusted General's in the war, second only to Malak. She was around from the beginning. The Jedi Counsel exiled her when she went off to war against their wishes."

"Wow. I didn't know that." Mission mumbled. "But didn't a lot of Jedi go off to war? Were they all exiled?"

"Yeah a lot went but she's the only one who went back to face them after the war was finished." Atton replied, feeling protective of her reputation somehow. "And by that time things had happened… it's a long story."

"Huh. Sounds like it. I just thought she was some amazing Jedi, now more then ever if she survived the war and these past years. Not many have survived."

"No… they haven't."

"How did _you_ survive?" Mission asked suddenly. "I thought the Sith hunted all the Jedi."

Atton's jaw tightened. _How had he survived_? _I survived because I had been one of the hunters._

"I wasn't a Jedi. None of us were. Surik trained us all. _Well, everyone except Visas_. She was a Sith Assassin sent to kill us. Meetra turned her." Atton explained distantly, slightly ruffled by her question and the inquiry into his past.

Mission smiled. "She sounds like Revan. He trained a bunch too while we were with him. Like Juhani when he was still in training. She fell to the dark side because of some accident with her Master, but Revan brought her back and surprised _everyone_ at the Enclave. Then he brought Jolee out of 'retirement' shortly after when we met him on the forest floor of Kayshyyyk. He even turned Bastila when she joined Malak."

"There were rumours about him. About Malak…?" Atton questioned, unable to help asking. There had been many rumours that had circulated. He figured this was as good a time as any to get the truth.

Mission smiled sadly. "Yeah. Revan saved him too. Right before he died. I think that was harder for him then when Bastila turned to the Dark Side."

Atton sighed quietly. He was glad to hear the truth after hearing such wild talk for years. He was glad Revan had been able to turn him. It made everything they had been through mean that much more. He didn't know how, because it didn't really relate, but to him it did somehow.

"They were like brothers." Atton remarked quietly. He knew that very well.

"Did you know them?"

"I served under them during the war." Atton confessed easily. "I knew a lot about them. Everyone did."

"I was just a kid then but I was old enough to know how much he meant to everyone. How much he did for everyone. Revan touched thousands of lives, millions even. Even Dustil was saved by Revan. He was a student at the Sith Academy, but Revan talked him out of being a Sith along with a couple who were hiding out in some of the caves on Koribban. I don't know what happened to them, they said they'd come here but we never heard, and Dustin… well, now he's a Lieutenant in the Republic Navy and I couldn't imagine life without him." Mission blushed lightly then raised her eyes and met Atton's gaze. "Your friend sounds a lot like him. Like _Revan_."

Atton nodded but his mind was less decided. He hadn't thought much about the similarities before. Now so many more things made sense. _Had Meetra known that this company of the Admiral__'__s had all known Revan? That they had been close to him throughout his journey to confront his old friend? _It would explain her behaviour.

"Revan didn't train you?" Atton asked, for no apparent reason at all.

It felt odd to be talking about Revan. He didn't like to of late, not that he had something against the man. He respected him very highly, he had gone to war for him after all. He had been brutal and heartlessly efficient for the sake of his cause but considering Meetra's past with him, he didn't feel the same about the Prodigal Knight. He figured it had everything to do with Meetra's high regard for him. Atton was never very good at sharing, and he felt like he was competing against the memory of Revan for Meetra's attention and affection. It sounded odd but there it was.

"No. Turns out I don't have '_the gene__'__ or whatever_." Mission shrugged. "Dustil does but he didn't get a chance to pursue it. Good thing too."

"Yeah." Atton replied honestly. Mission's boyfriend surely would have been killed if he had been a Jedi. "What about the others you travelled with? You said there were other Jedi travelling with Revan. What happened to them?"

"Didn't make it." Mission replied quietly. "Only Bastila made it through, but that's only because she put her past behind her… and because Revan hid her."

Atton nodded. He had heard the rumours about Revan and Bastila as well. That they had married a number of years ago, but like before no solid story he found believable. He figured this confirmed it. So much for Jedi having no attachments. _He__'__d have to bring this up with Meetra later. _

"What about the others?" Atton questioned after a moment of respectful silence. "I remember you had quite a crew."

Mission smirked. "Yeah. Well Big Z is back on Kayshyyyk, the chieftain of his village. Canderous disappeared soon after the ceremony on Lehon saying something about uniting clans. And HK and T3... well they stayed with Revan and Bastila."

"HK-47 and T3?" Atton choked down a laugh.

"Yeah." Mission arched her brow. "_Why_?"

Atton ran his hand through his hair, almost laughing at himself. The two droids. The cargo cylinder and the temperamental killing bucket _had belonged to Revan_. They had been with him from the beginning and yet here they were, with them now.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No. Revan stole T3 from Davik Kang on Taris and bought HK from an Ithorian when we were on Tatooine. He didn't know it then but he had built HK when he was in the war." Mission explained. "Carth mentioned something about seeing a droid that looked a lot like T3 during the attack on Telos… _it wasn__'__t_, _was it_?"

"Yeah, _it was_, the assassin too." Atton shook his head at the hilarity of it. Everyone from Revan's life was crawling out of the wood work.

"Really?" Mission's grin shone like nothing Atton had seen in years. "Can I see them?"

Atton shrugged, pushed his seat out and stood. "Sure. Come on."

Mission nearly leapt to her feet with excitement. "We should get Carth. I'm sure he'll want to see them too."

"I don't know about that. The little trash compactor was pretty adamant about not meeting the Admiral." Atton advised. "You're probably ok but he was pretty insistent… _or so I was told_."

"_What_? Really? _Why_?" Mission frowned. "I would have thought he'd like to see us again. Especially after what happened. He must have been lost without Revan. _They were inseparable_."

"Yeah, I don't doubt it."

Atton never understood Revan's affection for mechanics. He had amazing skill. _He built a state of the art assassin droid for kark sake_- _without any assistance from anyone_. He could always been found in and around the techs on his down time too, which he didn't get much of but it was enough to build a reputation.

But Atton… _he didn__'__t get it_. He hadn't had very much success with droids. The language was a pain, and they had a tendency of developing the worst personality quirks and or breaking and going stark raving mad at the worst possible moments. He had seen it many times before. Nevertheless, Mission wanted to see the droids and he'd show them to her. _It was the least he could do_.

. . .

After tiding up things in the shop, Meetra retreated to the courtyard for some much needed space. She needed solitude and concentration to scrutinize the work that had been accomplished for the Admiral's visit and whether or not it proved the solidarity of their newest venture. She hoped he approved because, _Jedi or not, they needed his support._

That is what she _tried_ to pin her explicit focus on, that and her statements of merit should the Admiral ask… _but it was difficult_. She could think of nothing but her past and those who had played major roles. She didn't want to. She knew it was a massive distraction, _if not a waste of time_, but she could not keep the memories at bay.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

Meetra tensed at the sound of an unfamiliar voice but smiled as her eyes found Admiral Onasi standing a short piece away, under the glow of the gold plains. He looked like he regretted bothering her, but confident enough to risk it all the same.

"No, not at all." Meetra smiled kindly. "Is the tour over already?"

"No." Carth chuckled, coming up alongside her. "_Not exactly_."

"Is it too much? I should have tightened the leash on Mical. He can get carried away at times." Meetra responded with a light frown. "I can-"

"No. It's alright." Carth reassured her. "I only snuck away because I'm not entirely used to playing the political figure just yet. I'll leave that to Dustil and Yarin. They've got a better aptitude for it anyway… and the patience."

Meetra smirked. The more she listened to this man the more she liked him. When she first met him she wasn't sure if she ever would. He had been assigned to be her jailer so it was no wonder but now… he was beginning to prove her wrong and she was glad of it.

"But still. I'll ask Mical to tone it down. I invited you to just come to see the Enclave again, not for a full description of the history of the Jedi nor lectures of their importance in the galaxy." Meetra responded as they continued at a miserly pace through the courtyard. "None of us need any more of _that_."

"Don't you believe in their importance?" Carth asked, catching her off guard.

"Of course I do."

"It seems an inopportune time to ask this, but you don't wish them any ill will, do you?" He questioned, meeting her gaze steadily. He looked sceptical.

"No. _I never have_. Why, do I give that impression?" Meetra retorted with as much confidence in her gaze.

"No. I only…" Carth glanced at his feet, then the stonework about them framing the pathways. "Forgive me but I had to ask."

"You have every right to." Meetra replied generously. She didn't know why but she felt like she must.

"That's not true. I just felt concerned that given your history with the Order, you might have some reservations of returning them to their glory."

"I'm sorry Admiral but I fail to see how I may have given you this impression." Meetra frowned.

"I never said you did, nor do I wish to accuse you of anything I just… I just want to make sure you wont be doing something gallant in the memory of your mentor." Carth spoke calmly but the anxiety was there, as plain as it ever could be. "It happened before… I just needed to be sure."

Meetra recoiled at his words, each one of them hitting her as if they each carried an electric charge. She didn't understand. After everything they had done for the Republic, for this man's home world, he only believed she was an agent of Revan's, here only to make some dramatic move to assert _his_ authority on the galaxy.

"After all we've done, you still expect me to suddenly turn and become an enemy and a treat to _your precious Republic_? …Just because I served _Revan_ in the war alongside Alek?" Meetra questioned levelly. "You're worried that I will turn out the same as Alek and betray everything I've worked for just because of-"

"No, that's not what I'm saying."

"Well I'm sorry Admiral but that sounds _exactly_ like what you're saying." Meetra frowned. "I am not going to betray my promise to rebuild the Order and to support it. I believe I owe it to all the Jedi who died in the past fifteen years, as much as I owe it to Revan and Alek."

Carth heaved a great sigh. "You don't need to go into that. I _was_ there."

Meetra narrowed her eyes as she raised her chin with confidence, her lips a firm thin line of disappointment. "Yes, you were. You fought alongside them from the Ender Spire all the way _to the slaying of my friend_. I know _all_ about it, but I have a feeling _you don__'__t_."

Carth scoffed. This woman was fiery, dancing dangerously close to the praecipe. He didn't doubt all he had read about her. He didn't doubt she had been Revan's General and that she had been the only one with the courage, if not ignorant stupidity, to go back to the Jedi Order once she was done with war. That kind of brazen crassness seemed right up her alley.

"You have _no right _to pass judgement on what went wrong during the war. You have _no idea _the things Revan and Alek were subject to for the sake of the Republic's victory. _No idea_." Meetra continued, deadly severe. "You weren't there when Alek began to change. When he had been abandoned to the instruments of Demogal. You weren't there when the war changed Revan, your Republic's precious Revanchist. You might have known them one way, but you have no idea what they were really like."

She didn't care if he was an Admiral and she was _way out of line_, she wouldn't listen to talk like this. Not about the men she had served with. _Not about her friends_. She would defend them before the entire Republic, to the Unknown Regions and back if necessary.

"I won't bring it up because there is nothing to gain from drudging up the past but I can assure you I have no desire to see the Jedi fall again. I will do everything in my power to see that they rise again as a great ally for the Republic. _Everyone knows you need it_."

"Yes. Yes we do." Carth sighed heavily then nodded. "I appreciate your honesty but I feel I must apologize. I never intended to say anything but somehow, _like always_, I end up finishing these conversations with an argument. I know it's not much of an excuse but…"

Meetra was silent a moment, just running it over in her mind. She didn't necessarily want to forgive him for his paranoia but she figured, for the sake or allegiances, she should. She sighed quietly, exhaling her pride and nodded. _Fine, she__'__d forgive him._

"You know it's refreshing to have someone tell you what they're really thinking." Carth smiled delicately, in hopes of dissolving the tension. "No one seems allowed to tell you off when you're an Admiral."

"No, I suppose not." Meetra couldn't argue with that, having a background in military operations. _No one in their right mind would. _

"That never stopped Revan though. Told me off, right after the appointment ceremony." Carth said, smirking no doubt at the memory. "He never much cared for rules like that."

"What?" Meetra questioned, suddenly alighted with curiosity. "He did?"

"Never was much one to stand for the occasion. I said something he didn't take well to and he made sure I knew. He wasn't arrogant about it but he was never a man afraid to speak his mind. Which usually meant a good number of arguments, especially between us. _That day _in particular." Carth explained with an amused glint in his eye. He picked at the leaves on one of the trees in the garden as they passed them, then let it blow away in the wind. "I wasn't the only one though. He and Bastila used to fight like Kath Hound pups."

"Revan could always bring the fire. No matter what situation or subject." Meetra smirked, bittersweet memories flooding her mind. "It was infuriating but amusing at the same time."

Carth chuckled. "Not everyone would agree with you."

Meetra smirked, giving her head a shake, then stopped and turned to Carth. She couldn't let the opportunity pass her by. Not when it was just hanging in front of her. Carth stopped and turned to her as well, knowing well she wished to speak.

"Would you mind if I asked you something… about those years?"

"Not at all." Carth replied generously.

"What was he like… Revan… when he was with you searching for the Star Forge? It's been so long since we've seen each other. Was he very different?"

Carth took a breath and glanced around, collecting his thoughts. "I only met him once or twice before he defected. I couldn't tell you if he was the same. I will tell you this though, out of anyone he could have been, I never expected him to be _Lord Revan_."

Meetra nodded solemnly and held her tongue. It was a good enough answer. At least he hadn't been cruel… but she hoped he was still the same. The same humour, the same wisdom and tone. _At least_.

"Were you very close?"

Meetra smiled sadly, glancing at her feet. "_Yes. We were_. I was practically a child when I joined the effort and for some reason he saw something in me that no one else did. He looked out for me. From the moment I met him to the moment I left, he always looked out for me."

"You were an exemplary leader. Your career in the war was something unheard of. A General at what… twenty?" Carth replied.

"I was just shy of my twentieth, yes." Meetra took a breath. She had been so young to go to war… to have the part in it she did. "But it had been done before, right? On countless worlds, in countless wars."

"Not like that one." Carth exhaled. "I don't agree with what he became but… there was never a war like the one he led us through. Never an equal to his skill or drive."

"You make it sound like he was _our_ Mandalore the Ultimate."

"Wasn't he?" Carth questioned with all seriousness.

Meetra averted her gaze to the scenery surrounding them. She had so many memories within reach now, memories that would have proven that fact or refuted it depending on her choice. She smiled into the sun.

"Its funny isn't it? We fought the Mandalorians for years as they swept through the galaxy. We viewed them as a plague and a threat. Some of us, for good reason, even hated them without reserve. Yet the one man everyone viewed as our leader through those years was just as ruthless and determined as they were. His battle plans mimicked theirs, he spoke Mandalorian and even donned their armour." Meetra shook her head with a faint smile on her lips. "I never thought about it before but you're right, _he was our Mandalorian the Ultimate_. He was our own enemy."

Carth exhaled a sigh. It was unexpected of her to say but it was true. In the end their saviour had become their enemy, but something else she said made him wish to reply.

"Everyone knew and respected him, he was well known throughout the armada and the government for his exemplary record with the Jedi Council, but I have no idea _who he actually was_. I never once heard him talk about his past. Not that he would have remembered it." Carth frowned. "But you knew him before. _Could he have been Mandalorian_, considering what you just said?"

Meetra shrugged. "I couldn't say."

Carth frowned, surprised by this. "… I was under the impression that you were one of his closest allies."

"It didn't matter. He never spoke of his past, not even to me." Meetra confessed. "None of us knew anything about his past other then what you've heard."

"That's hard to believe. Soldiers in war build many confidences. They build friendships, yes, but _they also trade secrets.__"_

"Revan was always a very private man. He told you what he wanted you to know and that's all." Meetra replied easily. "Bonds of war aside."

Carth nodded. He couldn't argue with that. He had spent some months alongside the man under good circumstances and bad, and what Meetra had just said was true. He had never seen Revan prattle on for the sake of hearing himself talk. He had always spoken with a purpose, and his memory loss aside, his past apparently had little purpose.

He figured it just left more to the mystery of him. No one knew who he truly was, where he came from or where he went. Carth frowned, thinking on the latter. He did not agree with Revan's choice to disappear chasing the past. He could not see the sense in it, to leave behind his family without any idea of returning. Carth wanted to be angry with Revan as he had been when it happened but he couldn't now, because he had come to the uneasy realization that he had done the same years ago.

Carth glanced at the woman walking alongside him. She was a beautiful woman, capable and strong. Like a select few Carth had met during his lifetime, she was very unique and clearly someone to be cherished. She had lived many lives, both before and after being touched by the Revanchist.

He knew things happen in war, they had happened to him, but he couldn't understand why Revan had left this one behind as had many others. Surely he noticed the aura about her. Surely he valued her, he made her his General and his confidence at such a young age. Not to mention, just from speaking to her for a short time, he could tell she had feelings for him that stemmed beyond loyalty and respect.

That being said, _what had torn them apart_? _Had it been the same to tear Revan and Bastila apart? _Carth took a deep breath and withheld his questions, they walked on- oblivious to the questions left hanging in the air between them.

That evening, they all sat down together for a fabulous meal that had been prepared for their first formal guests. Wine and ale flowed freely and stories were shared. It was a welcomed change to the quiet monotonous evenings their lives had consisted of lately. They had even invited some of the settlers and the Administrator and Zherron to join them.

Carth retold glorious tales of the war, Atton and Mission went head to head for a nail biting game of pazzack, Yarin discussed the Enclave at length with Mical. Even Visas and Bao-Dur got in on the fun. When Mira suggested a drinking game, Meetra hadn't refused it. When Atton told tales of Nar Shadda she had laughed, as had Carth when they retold stories of their own.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, finding entertainment and diversion in some form or another. It was, all in all, a very _highly_ enjoyable night.

* * *

: Again, here I wanted to bring in facets of the previous game as well as the comics to round out the story. I also very much wanted to keep Meetra thinking of the past and her friends (Revan and Alek) as they once were, not as Sith Lords. Something I think was vital for her to make the choices that she has and will have to make.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: Questions Answered**

_Meetra opened her eyes and once again she was surrounded by the familiar unrecognizable white surroundings as she had once been some months ago. She smiled, knowing Revan was soon to appear yet felt both anxious and gracious he had been able to contact her again. She was laying on the white surface beneath her, so she pushed herself up and looked around. There was nothing yet so she stood and waited._

_*Meetra.*_

_She turned and there, stood Revan several feet away, looking the same as ever. Did he really still look like that? That same long brown hair, the same green eyes and sharp angled features or was this just her mind playing tricks? Fabricating his voice into the figure of a man she knew long ago?_

_*Revan.* Meetra denied those thoughts any more of her time and gave her friend a grateful smile. *How are you?*_

_Revan grinned unexpectedly. *Not much better then you I__'__m afraid.*_

_*Why? What__'__s wrong with me?* Meetra questioned looking at herself, suddenly very self conscious._

_*You forget, as of now, we are linked. I know _everything_.* _

_*What?* Meetra frowned, offended to known she was completely open to him, against her will. She never liked showing weakness in front of him. _

_Revan came closer, now standing closer to her then he ever had in these __'__visions__'__. Meetra self-consciously avoided his gaze. It had been too long, she didn__'__t want to allow herself to be whipped up into the same spineless creature right with self doubt as she had after she refused to follow him. She didn__'__t want to be reminded of that. _

_Revan came closer still, however, and raised his hand to her face and touched her. Meetra held her breath. She hadn__'__t expected such a thing was possible in trans galaxy telepathy or Force visions. As always however, it seemed that all things were possible with Revan. He lifted her chin with his index finger, forcing her to raise her eyes to his. _

_When Meetra did she felt transported back to the war. They had spent a great deal of time together. They had grown very close. They had seen each other at their best and their worst. They had shared secrets, knowledge and companionship. Meetra felt more comfort in reading his sensitive gaze then she had in a long time. It was a gaze that was completely and unforgivably selfless._

_*You are as open to me as I am to you.* He told her quietly, then closing his eyes Meetra was forced to as well. _

_In that moment, that moment of silent darkness, Meetra felt a wash of emotions she did not recognize. She saw an unrecognisable planet, a compound, a shadowy figure. She felt uncertainly, pain, regret, helplessness, hope and gratitude. She could see a dark apartment, a woman sleeping with her back to her. She remembered leaving Coruscant in the middle of the night with as much detail as if it had been her own memory. She could feel the hot wind of a desolate planet on her face, an ache of emptiness. Then it was all gone. Meetra opened her eyes once again to find Revan__'__s staring down at her as if he were looking directly into her soul._

_*I don__'__t__…__* Meetra shook her head. What was that?_

_*Those were my memories, my thoughts. I see yours in a similar way.* he told her_

_Meetra exhaled a deep breath. She felt weak. *The planet?*_

_*In the Unknown Regions. A first stop.*_

_*The obscure figure?*_

_*An ally__…__ for now.* Revan replied, his gaze darkening slightly._

_*__…__You__'__re in pain?* Meetra questioned, her tone much quieter, as if trying not to convey heartbreak. She was concerned for him._

_Revan__'__s eyes danced, the corners of his lips curving slightly. *It__'__s nothing. What about yours?*_

_Meetra breathed heavily, refusing to answer him but she couldn__'__t deny his gaze._

_*You should listen to your friend, Meetra. He__'__s right.* Revan advised gently. _

_*I can__'__t handle the voices. The nightmares.* Meetra confessed, avoiding the topic of __'__her friend__'__. She didn__'__t want to talk about Atton with Revan, especially if he could read her so easily._

_Revan__'__s gaze softened. *I wish I could tell you it gets better.*_

_*I know it wont. It__'__s fine. I can handle it.* Meetra responded, then hesitated before *The woman? __…__ Bastila?*_

_The corners of Revan__'__s mouth creased. The familiar smile lines peaking out to remind her of better times. His eyes gleamed with brilliance._

_*You__'__ve been speaking to Carth, haven__'__t you?* _

_Meetra couldn__'__t help but smile. *I was desperate to hear about you the way you were. To know if you were the same.*_

_*Of course I was. They erased my memories, not who I am. The same as they couldn__'__t erase you.*_

_*Quite frankly I__'__m surprised they didn__'__t. You remembered somehow, after loosing all your memories? How is that even possible?*_

_*I could never forget about you.*_

_Meetra tilted her head. She didn__'__t believe him. Revan grinned at her. She could always catch him in a lie._

_*The truth?*_

_*I would be nice.* Meetra smirked_

_*I remembered fighting in the war. They programmed me as a soldier, so it was only wise. I was allowed to remember faces, places. Whatever they wished. Somehow, _they let me remember you_.* Revan confessed, making her feel touched by the thought. *I was forced to be a ghost of the past, remembering only bits of my previous life but it was enough. Until now, that is.*_

_Meetra was silent a moment. If he remembered__…__? *You said the last time we spoke that you left this galaxy alone, and yet you tell me now that you remembered me...Why? Why didn__'__t you find me? I would have gone with you. You know I would have.*_

_*Yes. I know.* Revan soothed. *It wasn__'__t that simple.*_

_*Why not?*_

_*Although I remembered a woman from the war, a close companion__…__ I did not know who you were until my memories began to resurface. I had dreams of you, and Alek as well as some others__…__ myself included but I was always an observer. I could not distinguish between myself then and my new identity.* He explained liberally. *So you see, although I knew you I did not know who you were, where you could be found or even if you were still alive.*_

_Meetra was silent. She hadn__'__t know. That must have been terrible for him to watch his life from someone else__'__s eyes, not knowing how everything fit together. For years he had done that. It made Meetra__'__s pain, of her own life, pale in comparison. _

_*Besides, even when I did know, I couldn__'__t delay, even if it meant finding you. I wasn__'__t alone though, T3 and HK left with me but they couldn__'__t follow me here so they returned. I don__'__t know how they managed it but they__'__ve always been resourceful.*_

_*Something must have happened regardless, HK was in pieces when we found him.*_

_Revan seemed to find that amusing because he smirked, igniting his fierce green eyes once more._

_*I gave T3 full authority to assume command if anything happened to me, I can only assume HK did not acknowledge such leadership. HK was always reluctant to leave me behind under any circumstances.*_

_*Well as you said, T3 has always proved resourceful__…__* Meetra mused, a little wary of the little protocol droid she had grown so fond of. *But I don__'__t understand, why didn__'__t you just give T3 a message for me? In case?*_

_*I never imagined he would find _you_. But even then, it__'__s not that simple.* Revan replied. *They couldn__'__t, for any reason, be traced back to me.*_

_*Is that why the navcomputer is voice printed?*_

_Revan nodded *I couldn__'__t take any chances.*_

_*Alright, so what now? You found me and we__'__re rebuilding the Order__…__ what else do you need?* _

_*I need the Republic on our side.*_

_*Oh that__'__ll be easy* Meetra frowned._

_Revan smirked, he had missed her quirks. Her sarcasm had always made him smile. _

_*T3 can help you with that. He has access to the navcomputer bypass.*_

_*How? T3 refuses any knowledge of you. I__'__ve already asked him.*_

_*Then speak to HK. T3 has a tendency of being stubborn.*_

_*And how do I get HK to trust me? To believe me?*_

_*Just tell him what I found. He__'__ll believe you.*_

_*And what did you find?*_

_*Scourge.*_

_Meetra waited for more but that seemed like all of it. That wasn__'__t much to go on. She frowned, wanting more but Revan shook his head._

_*That__'__s enough for him, he__'__ll believe you.*_

_The light surrounding them suddenly dulled, causing Meetra to openly curse. Why did this always happen so quickly? Revan smirked at her. Always impatient. _

_*You__'__re waking up.* He explained._

_*Can I contact you again? What if this doesn__'__t work and I need you?*_

_*You rarely do.* He smiled then touched her chin with his fingers again. *You__'__ll be fine Meetra, but whatever happens you need the Republic to listen to you. _We need them on ourside_.*_

_*But where do I start? I have no idea who will listen.* Meetra questioned, desperate for more time as the light dulled even further. _

_*You already have an agent and Admiral in your back pocket.* Revan smirked. *That__'__s as good a place as any.*_

_Meetra opened her mouth to respond to that but Revan__'__s image began to haze out of clarity. She could no longer feel his touch or read his features. Frustrated, Meetra tried to control her sudden swelling emotions. _

_*I__'__ll find you Revan. I swear. I__'__ll-*_

_*Good luck General.* _

_Revan__'__s voice dissolved into the darkness and accompanying silence along with everything else. She didn__'__t know why he had said that but she had little time to ponder the options because she too slipped into the darkness and was lost to it in seconds._

_. . ._

When the dawn broke the next morning, rousing the groggy Enclave inhabitants from their peaceful slumbers, Meetra sat up in bed and rubbed her face. She had a headache and her eyes felt dry, as did her mouth. It was highly unpleasant but as she found herself in her own room and fully dressed in the previous days clothes, she did not worry too much.

Collecting a few pieces of clean clothing from her footlocker she carried them over to the refresher door and slipped inside. She didn't remember much of the previous night but she did remember Revan's face. She remembered the feel of his touch, making her chest ache even now.

Forcing those thoughts of the Prodigal Knight from her mind, Meetra showered and dressed. She needed to speak with HK and T3 above all else and there wasn't time now to distract herself with anything else. Immerging a short time later, Meetra picking up her comm and left her room.

. . .

Finding her way into the silent Mess Hall, Meetra surveyed the room from last night already cleaned up thanks to the maintenance droids. She knew she should be out looking for HK considering the conversation she had just had with Revan that night but for some reason she didn't feel as eager to complete the task as she had several minutes before.

Instead, she thought of the one person who could help her forget this next mission. The person who could fill her head with everything other then plans and strategies for completing Revan's request. Not that she'd hate cornering T3 and ascertaining the truth about Revan… she just… it seemed a little deep for first thing in the morning.

Retrieving a mug from the shelf, Meetra went to the freshly brewed pot of Caff on the machine and poured herself a cup. Turning for a comfortable chair where she could enjoy her first mug of Caff, she smirked to notice a familiar figure asleep on one of the couches.

"Don't you have a room of your own?" Meetra questioned, stopping before the couch a giving it's occupant a little nudge with her boot.

"Mmm?" Atton murmured, then opening his eyes a crack he smiled sleepily up at her. "What are you doing here?"

"This is _the Mess_, Atton, I have every right to be here." Meetra chuckled and motioned for him to move. "Now, make room."

Atton obeyed, with a small groan, and sat up as he rubbed his tired face.

"Rough night?" Meetra inquired as she sat, occupying the place his feet had on the couch.

Atton ran his hands through his hair, messing it further, and yawned.

"What makes you say that?" He questioned, reaching for her mug of Caff.

Meetra handed it over, he seemingly needing it much more then her, and leaned back into the plush couch.

"You couldn't make it back to your room?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Didn't try." Atton replied, stuck his nose back into the steaming mug. "Have you tried out this thing? I don't know about yours but this couch is softer then that sad excuse for a bed I have in my quarters."

Meetra shook her head, smirking. He was right. The couch was soft, but still.

"You don't think it would be a good idea to _not_ sleep on the couch in the Mess when we have important representatives from the Republic visiting us, and evaluating the importance of what we're trying to accomplish here?"

Atton smirked and shrugged, a combination that made her smile.

She had never been able to read Atton very well since they had met, he was quick with humour and slow to trust. He had a tendency to bring out the worst in people and yet at the moment you thought you were going to kill him he said or did something stupidly heroic.

"Mee?"

Meetra smirked, raising her eyes from the floor to meet his tired gaze. She loved the way he said her name. Much like she did seeing his concern when he tried to hide it. The way he veiled it with sarcasm. She had always noticed the hidden glances he stole. They had helped her to stay focused and concentrate on the greater good, hoping for something that might or might not happen when the mission was done.

"Yeah?" She questioned, still a little distracted by her own thoughts.

"How are you?" He inquired, his tone dropped. "Things seemed a little rough there for a while."

Meetra pushed a smile onto her lips. "I'm ok."

"You talk to the Admiral?"

"Yeah. A little."

"You get some answers?" Atton questioned carefully, not sure if he wanted to know exactly what she had wanted to know from the Admiral.

Meetra thought about her conversation with Carth for a moment, then she thought about her conversation with Revan. She did get some answers but she had a lot more questions.

"It depends."

"On?" Atton frowned, not understanding.

"Well… you up for another mission?" She asked with a secret smile.

"_That_ depends. Who's coming with us?"

"So far, just T3 and HK."

"Any chance we can leave the droids behind?" Atton smirked.

"Very funny." Meetra scoffed. He was such a charmer.

Atton's smile faded slightly. "You're serious?"

"About what? The mission? Of course I am." Meetra remarked seriously. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Atton watched her for a moment. "No reason. What about your Enclave reno? Isn't this a fairly big deal?"

"Yes but so is this."

Atton sighed. "Fine. What's the deal? We taking off for some backwater planet, infiltrating a secret Sith base… assassinating some head of state… destroying_ another _planet?"

Meetra ignored his suggestions. "It's a little complicated but first, we need to acquire some very important information and deliver it to the Republic. Interested?"

"Why not." Atton shrugged. "Where is this precious information?"

Meetra held back her smirk. "In T3."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Republic Aid**

Atton stood along side Meetra as she confronted HK-47. Because she basically explained HK needed to authorize T3 to hand over the data, Atton was rather lost in this while thing but he stood back and watched. As much as the assassin was glitchy and highly temperamental for a droid, Meetra was fearless in dealing with him. Of course it only added to the long list of reasons why Atton was deciding to stick around, he also just enjoyed watching her.

"HK, I need you to authorize T3 to give me Revan's encoded information for the Republic." Meetra began authoritatively.

"_Blatant Lie_: I do not know what you are talking about, master."

"Does he realize he does that?" Atton questioned, with an arched brow and amused smirk.

"_Snide query_: Does he realize _what_?"

"You just told us you were lying." Atton retorted.

"_Determined refusal_: I did not."

"Revan designed him like that." Meetra offered in explanation, ignoring HK as she jumped back into the conversation.

"Why? Doesn't it defeat the purpose?"

"It doesn't conflict with any other programming. It just annoyed the hell out of Alek so Revan made it permanent, same with 'meatbag'."

Atton smirked. "Doesn't sound like the Revan I knew but, trust issues aside, I like his style."

Meetra scoffed. "Yeah. He was something else. Now, HK. I know you belonged to Revan."

"_Proud Affirmation_: I do not deny I once belonged to this 'Revan'."

"Good, because I also know you were with him in the Unknown Regions and that he had to send you back with T3 to deliver important information to the Republic. Information I now need." Meetra replied firmly. "He said you might not believe me, so I'm suppose to tell you what you found there… in the Unknown Regions. _Scourge_."

"_Indignant Reply_: Very well."

"Will you help me convince T3 that I need that information to give to Admiral Onasi?

"Onasi?" Atton questioned.

"Apparently I've_'__got him in my back pocket__'_. Revan wanted me to implore Carth for the Republic's support." Meetra responded

Atton was surprised. More and more about Revan was being disclosed in this conversation and as much as he hated hearing about all the things he had told or requested of Meetra, he was even more shocked about what this mission was slowly morphing into.

"_Loyal Promise_: If it means destroying the protocol droid, then yes. I will help you."

"That wont be necessary. We need him." Meetra countered.

"_Unhappy Objection_: It is justice. On multiple occasions the same protocol droid caused much damage to myself and multiple other HK models."

"Really?" Atton chuckled. "The little trash compactor hit the big bad assassin droid?"

"Atton. _Not helping_." Meetra muttered with a warning frown.

"_Veiled Threat_: Master, does the Iradonian meatbag pilot?"

Atton chuckled.

"No HK. Atton is staying, you will not harm him. As far as you are concerned, you do so much as threaten him and so help me I will attach a restraining bolt that overrides your assassin protocols. Understood?"

Atton stared at Meetra, unsure if he should be touched or concerned by her comment.

"_Reluctant Acceptance_: Yes Master."

"Good. Now… we need to find T3."

"Leave that to me." Atton replied, pulling out his comm. "Hey. Mission? It's Rand. I'm looking for the trash compactor, has he rolled by you?"

'_Mission?_' Meetra mouthed with a frown.

"The Ruitan from the Admiral's party. _Mission Vao_." Atton replied, pulling his comm away from his mouth for a minute then smirked. "Honestly Mee, get with it."

Meetra rolled her eyes as the young woman's voice emulated from Atton's comm.

"_Hey, Rand. Yeah. I just left him in the droid control center. He said he wanted to talk to Surik. Have you seen her?__"_

Atton turned his gaze to Meetra and smirked. "Yeah."

"_Well could you ask her to go see T3?__"_

"Sure. Thanks."

Atton pocketed his comm and raised his brows. "So. Feel like gutting a protocol droid?"

"_Eager Pledge_: Most definitely."

Meetra scoffed, unable to help herself. "No gutting, _no destroying_. Let's just talk to him and see where that gets us."

"Considering all the trouble the tin-can has gotten us into we'd be doing the galaxy a favour." Atton responded most charitably.

"_Generous Approval_: Master I believe I have misjudged this particular meatbag."

Atton turned to HK and smirked. "You're not to bad yourself."

"I can just hear countless worlds screaming in terror upon receiving word of your sudden alliance." Meetra scoffed, but couldn't hide her amusement.

Atton smirked, and motioned for the door, waving her forward with a wink. "Lead on master."

Before she could, Meetra's comm chimed. Grumbling with annoyance, Meetra pulled it out from her belt pouch and clicked it on.

"This is Surik."

"_Boss. Problems with the data impute down in the archives. You got a minute?__"_Mira's voice reverberated over the comm.

Meetra sighed, glancing at Atton waiting by the door.

"Go ahead. I'll keep my eye on the tin-can and make sure he doesn't take a run for it." He offered easily.

"Sure thing, Mira. I'm on my way." Meetra responded into the comm then pocketed it and gave Atton a tired smile. "Thanks. I'll try not to be too long."

"With Mira?" He scoffed. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Meetra mumbled, heading out the door. "I'll need it."

. . .

Unfortunately, arriving at the Archives, Meetra was bombarded with several extra questions she had not anticipated so she was delayed a little longer then she thought. When she did finally manage to slip out of the room before Mira could think of something else to ask, or before she began to bombard her with personal questions, Meetra headed off for the Droid Control Center.

Successfully not coming into contact with anyone else, or receiving any other comm requests, Meetra made it all the way to the Enclave section in question before she ran into Atton outside the Control Center.

"Hey. You escaped the Huntress' clutches. I was just on my way you rescue you."

Meetra smirked. "How's T3? Still waiting?"

"Yeah." Atton exhaled, turning towards the open door at the end of the corridor. "The bucket of bolts won't let me alone, I was this close to disobeying orders and gutting him. Not going to lie."

"If it was _that_ important, why didn't he just call me?"

"Because. He's kind of threatening everybody right now, I think he's holding T5 hostage. Not like that would make me move any faster or anything."

"What? _Seriously_?"

"No. Not even a little bit, but the thing's a drama queen, _Sweets_."

Meetra chuckled. "Alright then, well, drama queen or not we need to talk to him."

"What exactly are we trying to get from him?" Atton questioned as they neared the door.

"I'm not exactly sure but if Revan risked everything to get it back to the Republic, it's important." Meetra replied, her amusement fading into a rigid seriousness.

Atton nodded but neglected to reply.

Entering the Droid Control Center, Meetra strode over to T3 and HK who were waiting whole Atton met Mission by the workbench. Apparently it was a safe place to sit and watch events unfold because the moment T3 began his gibberish dialogue Atton frowned, sensing a change in Meetra. He frowned, but nodded to Mission before leaning against the workbench she was seated upon.

"You _what_?" Meetra retorted, shaken if not caught totally off-guard by T3`s sudden announcement.

T3 repeated his request to a very shocked Meetra Surik.

"What did he say?" Atton murmured to his silent blue companion.

"He wants to see Bastila." Mission whispered back.

"As in _Shan_?" Atton demanded, his whisper hoarse.

"As in- _yeah_. Actually _he__'__s demanding to go_. Says it's urgent." Mission replied.

"What did you say to him to get him to talk?"

"What do you mean?" She frowned.

"_What did you say to get him to talk?_ You must have said something."

"Um… '_Hi T3, how are you? All the old gang missed you, we thought you took off with Revan__'_."

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"He just spilled?"

"Like a bloated Tauntaun under the knife in the middle of the Dune Sea."

Atton scoffed at his petite companion. She had quite the mouth for such a little girl.

"I get the impression that this is not a normal thing around here." Mission droned, with some amusement.

"I'd say you were right. The trash compactor is as private as a Hutt is slimy. It took us four months just to get him to get him to confess he _might_ have known any of you. I mean we knew it but he just wouldn't confess."

"And you needed him too?"

"Listen, I don't know if you know this, but annoying as the little bucket is, he has secrets in that head of his. Secrets that _apparently_ we need."

"Like the navcomputer?"

Atton's jaw grew a little slack. Mission grinned.

"Hey, give me a little credit. I _was_ in Revan's crew. I do have _some_ skills, even then as a little girl."

Atton shook his head. "What else should we know?"

"You do know about Revan and Bastila right?"

"Doesn't everyone?" Atton frowned. _Actually you were the one to confirm it but you don__'__t need to know that._

"Just checking." Mission smirked. "But, as for anything else… that T3 will have to tell you if there is or not."

_Great_. Atton frowned.

Mission chuckled and slipped off the workbench. "_Have fun_. I'm going to go find Dustil."

"Listen for the obnoxious drone of a Republic spy and you should find him somewhere close by, slowly dieing of boredom." Atton suggested with _only a hint _of sarcasm.

Mission chuckled. "Will do. Thanks."

Atton nodded then turned his attention back to Meetra trying to pry T3's precious information from his head. _Poor Meetra_. Atton crossed his arms over his chest and watched Meetra furiously rub her face then gesture emphatically- something he had quickly picked up as something she only did when trying to keep her calm. He leaned against the workbench and watched.

"You had a message for Bastila _this whole time_? A message from Revan?" Meetra repeated, her voice sounding tight.

T3 chirped a series of short replies, leaving Atton lost in the conversation. Meetra clenched her fist and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"I am not assuming anything T3. _Revan told me_." She declared firmly. "Revan told me he took you and HK with him to the Unknown Regions. That he had to send you back and that you had valuable information stored in your memory core. _Information I need_."

T3 was silent a moment then dared a nugatory response.

"Dammit." Meetra turned away, she cut her eyes to Atton watching with rapt attention.

Offering a light shrug Atton offered his suggestion. _*We could always pry it from his old powerless heap of scrap.*_

Meetra scoffed and turned her attention to HK and his cold calculating gaze.

"Would you get the damn information from him?" She requested tensely. "Revan said you'd be able to."

"_Pleased Recognition_: My master was not mistaken." With a direct 45 degree turn of his head, HK levelled his gaze on T3. "_Unnecessary Threat_: Our master requests you divulge the information our previous master encrypted into your memory banks. Should you not comply with this request, I have full authority to end your existence in such a manner that no mechanic or master, past or present, will succeed in protecting you from the destruction allotted to your designation by my memory core."

Atton raised his brows. "Wow, that was really degenerate and… _really specific_. I'm liking this droid more and more every time he says something new."

Meetra cut her eyes to Atton and shook her head as T3 gave his response to HK.

_*Not now. This is serious, Atton.*_

Atton smirked. _*Fine. Still__…__ I can see Revan__'__s signature on his programming with comments like that.*_

Meetra frowned. _*Should I leave you two alone?* _

Atton scoffed and remained silent. _Fine_.

"T3." Meetra soothed, turning her attention back to him and feeling much more powerful with a treat from HK under her belt. "Revan _did_ tell me about Scourge. He contacted me through the Force. I need that information."

T3 whirred apologetically, stating that he had more orders then just returning the information to Republic hands.

"And what orders were those?"

T3 chirped stubbornly.

"Fine!" Meetra turned away. "HK, don't touch him. I don't care what authority Revan gave you. You're not to harm him."

"_Reluctant reply_: Yes master."

Meetra cut her eyes to T3. "You're sure you won't change your mind."

T3 refused, once more, stubbornly.

"Alright. I'll take care of it." Meetra sighed then turned to Atton.

_*Take care of what?* _He dared to ask.

Meetra took a deep breath. _*Nothing__…__ but we need to talk.*_

He frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.

_*Not here though.* _Meetra stated, heading for the door_. *Come on.*_

Atton followed her silently, out of the Control Centre and then down the corridor before he dared to ask.

"What was that all about?"

"T3 wont say anything about Revan or the information for the Republic until he talks to Bastila. Something about initial orders… he wouldn't say but I have to take him to Coruscant." Meetra replied, not even glancing in his direction.

"Alright. So what does that mean? Why don't you just send him off with the Admiral?"

"No. I need to take him." Meetra reiterated firmly.

"Fine. Coruscant isn't that bad. We could take a couple days and-"

"No, Atton." Meetra frowned, stopping and staring at him directly. "This is something I need to do alone."

Atton frowned.

Meetra took a deep breath and reached up, massaging her neck and shoulder distractedly. "I mean, _I would much rather _do this alone."

"You ever meet her?" He inquired after a moment. "… _before__…_?"

He knew for certain that Meetra never acted like this except when Revan and anything else related, especially if it were close, was part of the conversation.

"Yeah. She was a student here during the same time I was. We were never close but… we shared a couple teachers and friends." Meetra confessed slowly. "She was… well she was there when Alek came to Dantooine to recruit for the war. She was the only one who refused, the rest of us accepted. I never saw her again after that."

Atton held her gaze. "You served in the war and befriended Revan, then when he came back she was sent to capture him."

Meetra nodded slowly. "She succeeded too... only because Malak tried to kill him."

"Then, after the Jedi brainwashed him she followed him through the galaxy to stop Malak from using the Star Forge against the Republic." Atton added, adjoining his piece of information to Meetra's like a puzzle, but more then that... urging her on.

"Yeah, so?"

Atton raised his brows. "She spent _a lot _of time with him."

Meetra frowned. "She also married him. You think I don't know that?"

"No. _I know _you know." Atton amended. "That's why you want to go alone though, isn't it? Because of your history?"

Meetra held her tongue.

"Oh come on Surik. It is, isn't it?"

"Bastila isn't like anyone else you've met." She exempted. "You can't just walk in after ten years and ignore everything that's happened. Things are going to come out… things that'll need to be settled and I'd much rather have you back here with the others when it does. Besides, I have no idea what T3 has for her. I might not even be allowed to know."

"Sure. And you'd settle for that? Not knowing something about Revan?" Atton flashed a bittersweet smirk.

Meetra mirrored a much weaker version. She wanted to be jovial with him but she knew what her underlying thought was. She knew what was coming… what she was hiding from him.

"Alright, so you're off to Coruscant. I'm sure we'll live without you for a few days." He concluded kindly. "It's just you and the trash-compactor then?"

Meetra nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty conditional."

"When do you leave?"

"Carth takes off tomorrow… we'll wait until he goes but we shouldn't stay much longer then that. T3's pretty adamant about getting there as soon as possible."

"Of course." Atton muttered. T3 was adamant about anything he wanted. "You have a list of things for us to do while you're gone?"

Meetra withheld a smirk. "I'm not your boss, you know."

Atton folded his arms over his chest. "You can say that and we can say that, but anyone can see you're as much our boss as Revan was the leader of our army."

Meetra smiled with honeyed gratitude, touched by his confidence in her abilities… in his beliefs that she deserved no place other then center stage of their lives. She would miss that in the coming days.

"I have to talk to Bao-Dur, can you check the Hawk is ready for departure tomorrow?"

"You don't want to hitch a ride with the Admiral and take a shuttle back?" Atton frowned. "Considering it is just you and the droid?"

"No." Meetra replied quickly. "It'll be easier if I just take the Hawk, besides Carth isn't off to Coruscant. He's got another visit to make with Queen Talia."

Atton raised his brows. _Really_?

"It's important that the Republic help solidify the unsteady government and clear out the rest of the rebels if they expect to have the aid of Onderon in the future. It's as important as the restoration of Telos or the support of GOTO."

"You really think GOTO is on the side of the Republic?" Atton questioned with heavy skepticism.

"Yes, I do. He is a patriot and he knows that, should the Republic fall, it will unravel the intricate web this galaxy is built on. Piece by piece worlds will fall apart until there will be nothing salvageable… nothing for the use or future of _anyone_." Meetra declared passionately. "He might not deal the proper hand but I believe he is not the enemy we need to worry about."

"And who is?"

Meetra raised her chin slightly and held his gaze. "Just look after the Hawk, please Atton. Let me worry about everything else."

Atton frowned. He didn't want to obey. He did not like it when she said things like that, withdrawing into the shadows of her mind… but she was the boss. He did have to obey her. He had made her a promise long ago.

So, obediently he turned and left her alone in the corridor.

Once he had gone, Meetra exhaled a deep sigh and pulled out her comm from her belt pouch and clicked it on.

"Bao-Dur, this is Surik, come in."

Meetra waited a moment for her friend's comforting mellow tone to reach her ears from the small communication device.

"_Yes, this is Bao-Dur.__"_

"You busy? Got a few minutes for some fresh air?"

"_I__'__ll meet you in the courtyard.__"_

"Perfect. I'll meet you under the monument." Meetra smiled gratefully and pocketed her comm.

. . .

Bao-Dur was waiting for her by the time she reached the courtyard and seeing him standing there under the massive monument, Meetra felt a twinge of sadness for what she knew she had to say in this inevitable conversation. For some reason it seemed harder then the conversation she knew she should have with the others… but perhaps it was because she was only ever going to say these words aloud to one, and that was him.

Bao-Dur flashed her a gentle smile as she approached.

"Hey." She greeted him, forcing her own smile. "I hope I didn't take you away from something important."

"T5 can manage without me just fine." Bao-Dur replied generously. "Besides, it is nice to get out of the sublevel."

"I know what you mean." Meetra smirked, gazing over the brilliant landscape of the midmorning plains. "Care to walk?"

"Lead on."

Meetra lead Bao-Dur out onto the plains and towards the old salvager camp in silence, but as soon as they left the path of the courtyard she felt her courage rise just enough to dare to speak.

"Bao-Dur. There's something I need to talk to you about… something big."

Bao-Dur was silent but his kind gaze, levelled upon her face, encouraged her. Meetra took a breath and continued walking with him along side her.

"I've come across some information…" Meetra began. "Information that could mean details hundreds have been hoping and looking for… _for years, _and I'm going to act on it."

Bao-Dur remained silent, just listening to her.

"Tomorrow, I'm leaving with T3. We're going to Coruscant to meet Bastila Shan. T3 has some message for her from Revan. A message and information he sent back from the Unknown Regions of space." Meetra continued almost regretfully. "If he has a location for Revan… I'm not coming back to Dantooine."

Meetra stopped and turned to Bao-Dur and his quiet persona, just watching her with quiet intensity.

"If T3 knows where he is or what happened to him, I am going to the Unknown Regions to find him. I haven't told anyone else, nor will I, but I feel like I owe it to you to know at least. If I don't come back."

"And if you do come back?"

"Then you don't need to feel obligated to tell anyone what I had planned to do because I will stay here and carry out my word, resurrecting the Jedi along side you all."

Bao-Dur was silent a moment then "And if you go… _if you find Revan_… what then?"

Resting her hand on her hip, Meetra ran her other hand over her mouth and stared at the ground. She did not know if she could even find Revan but she had to try, regardless of what she expected to do one she found him.

"I'll do whatever he needs me to." She replied after some deliberation.

Bao-Dur nodded.

"I'm not saying this _just to tell someone_." Meetra explained then. "I _want_ you to know. I'm not asking for your blessing or anything but… well… I could really use a second opinion."

"About what you are about to do?" Bao-Dur questioned with a slight smile. "You are perfectly capable to make such a decision on your own. I have never doubted your abilities of choosing the correct path."

Meetra smiled lightly and glanced off at a few Kath Hounds grazing peacefully across the plain.

"I know some of the others wont understand."

"Whether they understand or not, you must live your own life… as you choose." He told her devotedly. "If they do not agree, they are not worthy of your anxiety. If they do agree then they will not cause you any uneasiness. Either way, their reactions will not stop you from going. Only you can do that."

Meetra's eyes glazed with tears, his words striking a vulnerable cord within her. This, her conscious decision to go and find Revan, finally felt real. This finally felt like goodbye.

Stepping forward, Meetra wrapped her arms around his thick well-built frame and hugged him. It was an uncharacteristic display of emotion but considering she might never have this opportunity again, Meetra did not feel as awkward as she might have any other times. Besides, it didn't feel at all odd when he gave her back a consoling pat with his strong hands.

"I'm going to miss getting advice from you." she murmured into his shoulder.

Bao-Dur smiled. "As will I miss our conversations."

As Meetra and Bao-Dur parted her comm buzzed with activity. With regret for the interruption, she pulled it from it's place in her belt and hit the switch.

"This is Surik."

"_Meetra, this is Mical. Admiral Onasi was scheduled to meet with Administer Adare in hopes of discussing some logistical issues of the Republic__'__s aid of the Enclave and was wondering if you would like to be part of the conversation.__"_

"I'm flattered but don't you think you're a better candidate for that?"

"_It is your decision. You may send me in your stead if you wish it.__"_

Meetra cut her eyes across to Bao-Dur and silently requested his opinion.

"Perhaps it would be best if you delegate leadership responsibilities before they' re forced upon someone other then you." He suggested modestly. "It would make the adjustment easier."

Meetra took a deep breath and nodded. As much as she didn't want to leave everyone behind to complete this work alone, he was right.

"I'd prefer it if you took care of everything." Meetra spoke into the comm. "I've got my schedule full at the moment."

"_I__'__ll speak to Admiral Onasi then and prepare a report for you upon my return.__"_

"Thanks Mical."

"_My pleasure.__"_

Meetra pocketed her comm and returned her eyes to her friend's kind gaze.

"You really think this is a good idea?"

"What?"

Meetra frowned and folded her arms over her chest. "Disappearing… going to look for him."

Bao-Dur smiled gently. "You and he have always had a unique bond. The same as he and Alek. Alek is no longer here to lend his aid to Revan's cause. _You are_."

Meetra's chest tightened.

"I believe that if there is anyone who could help him… it is you."

Meetra nodded in thanks, emotion threatening to seize her yet again. "Thanks Bao-Dur."

Bao-Dur was silent but his eyes conveyed everything he wished to say. He regretted Meetra's choice but he was proud she was willing to do such a thing for an old ally. There bond must have been truly sincere, if not powerful, for her to make such a choice.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: Loose Ends**

Meetra was working on the Hawk, checking systems when she was met outside the Hawk by Mical and some visitors. Meetra squinted against the glare of the sun and returned her data pad to her tool box, as she glanced across the landing pad to the approaching group.

With Mical was a leather clad Devaronian male, a young blue skinned Chagrian female and a brightly dressed Zeltron female. They looked like the oddest group to be visiting a Jedi Enclave but under closer encounter Meetra's eyes locked upon the Devaronian with confusion.

She could feel the aura surrounding him. He was Force sensitive. He was very powerful too. Meetra's stomach knotted with delight. She rubbed her hands off on her trousers and approached the group.

"Hello." Meetra greeted them, giving each a kind welcoming smile before returning her eyes to the dangerous looking Devaronian.

"Meetra Surik." Mical began, giving a slight bow of the head. "May I introduce Syarn of Etti IV."

The Zeltron smirked brightly and gave Meetra a little salute with two fingers on her forehead.

"… young Welaari."

Here the young Chagrian bowed her head, timidly avoiding all attention upon her.

"… And _Jedi Knight_, Hethrir San."

Meetra's eyes brightened.

"Really?"

"Does this somehow surprise you?" Hethrir questioned with some amusement as he flashed a sly grin and with it, his sharp incisors.

"No, I-" Meetra grinned. "Well… _yes actually_. I was under the impression that I was the last Jedi."

"Not all Jedi died in the war, love." Syarn offered, her honey coated voice exactly the kind Meetra would have expected from a Zeltron. "Some of them were just good at blending in. _Disappearing_."

Meetra raised her brows and looked back to Hethrir.

"Well, then I'm glad."

Hethrir nodded his head slightly. "Syran is only playing up my vanity."

"Not true, love." Syran retorted. "Everything I say is true and he's one of the most amazing Jedi I've ever met, and I've known my share of them in my travels. Trust me."

Meetra nodded, even more pleased to know they now had an impressive Jedi to add to their ranks… or so she hoped.

"I'm glad to meet you then." She remarked. "Are you here to see the Enclave or to…?"

"If I may…" Mical spoke up from the sidelines, drawing all eyes to him. "I believe they have come to join us, here."

Meetra turned back to the three new faces and subsequently examined them all.

"All of you?" Meetra blurted out then caught herself. "I'm sorry, this is just…"

"I can sense your apprehension Meetra Surik." Hethrir remarked easily. "I can assure you that although they might not look like much to your eyes, I have been training Syran and Welaari myself."

Meetra cut her eyes to the buxom Zeltron and her quiet young Chagrian companion. She didn't mean to cast them off on looks alone but she could not refute her doubts. Reaching for them with her mind she modestly searched their minds but despite finding _some_ potential it did not seem like enough to consider them as candidates for training. Perhaps she wasn't adept enough to realize this but Hethrir calmed her fears.

"Perhaps you would feel more comfortable with a demonstration?" He suggested. "I have trained them both to shield themselves in the Force, which has helped protect them greatly within in the last year."

Meetra nodded. "I would enjoy seeing what they've learned."

"Very good. If I may… your lightsaber?" Hethrir requested, holding out his long nailed hand.

Meetra unclipped the lightsaber from her belt and handed it to him. Hethrir dropped it into Syran's extended hand and the two stepped aside from the group.

Meetra watched as Hethrir and Syran's lightsabers were switched on, then they began an intricate duel that was more like a dance then an attack. Hethrir was impressive indeed, but Syran herself was quite good. Her form was flawless and her self-assured boldness seemed to work in her favour.

When the lightsabers switched off again, Meetra could not deny she was impressed.

"You have impressive skill." Meetra complimented honestly as Syran returned her lightsaber.

"Thanks. I told you he was a great Jedi."

"Yes. He is." Meetra responded then glanced over to Hethrir, with his hand on Welaari's shoulder.

"Welaari's skills have been honed in a different direction then Syran's but I believe you will be impressed regardless." He explained, then removed his hand and stepped back.

Welaari, all five feet of her, turned and faced the Ebon Hawk. She closed her eyes and raised her hands from her sides in it's direction. Turning her palms to the sky and raising them slowly, Meetra stared in amazement as the Hawk creaked on it's landing gear then slowly lifted off the landing pad. The ship rose higher and higher until it hovered ten feet off the ground. Then, Welaari lowered the Hawk slowly back down onto the landing pad and returned it's to it's place with hardly a sound.

Her display completed she turned and modestly rose her eyes to the adults standing around.

"Awesome trick kid." Syran declared with a brazen smirk.

Welaari smiled, dropping her eyes to the ground, but clearly pleased by the woman's attention. Meetra smiled and turned her eyes back to Hethrir.

"We would be honoured to open the Enclave to you."

Hethrir bowed his head to Meetra and then raised his impressive horned head.

"It is good, after wandering so long, to have a place to return to."

. . .

The next day after seeing off Admiral Onasi and his party, Meetra moved her bag into the Hawk and stowed it in the starboard dormitory. T3 was rolling through the Hawk, making his usual rounds, eagerly chirping that they should get going but Meetra held off.

She walked to the cockpit and checked all systems, before glancing out the window and noticing Bao-Dur and Atton coming up from the Enclave. Taking a breath, Meetra left the cockpit and headed out to meet them.

Descending the loading ramp and catching sight of them walking towards her through the afternoon sun, Meetra quickly raised the wall within her heart that sealed off all her emotions and thoughts. She forced a smile and committed the sight to memory. She would want to remember this.

"Hey." Atton smirked. "Everything ready to go?"

"Yeah." Meetra responded, her smile fooling him completely. Next to him, Bao-Dur's jaw tensed. "All ready."

"Alright, good luck with the trash compactor." Atton returned with ease. "You sure you wont change your mind about gutting him?"

"No." Meetra smirked. "Thanks though."

Atton smirked.

"I'll expect you both to keep everyone in line until I get back." Meetra explained then, jumping her gaze from one face to the next. "Keep Mical reigned in and HK from reeking havoc on the local population."

Bao-Dur nodded and Atton chuckled.

"Yeah, no sweat. We've got it under control."

"Also, talk to Hethrir about his thoughts on finding more Jedi or Force sensitive sentients. I haven't got the chance to yet. Maybe he'd be up for leading the search." Meetra suggested, catching Bao-Dur's eye and holding it a moment before glancing back between then two. "And check with Syran, she mentioned knowing a few Jedi over the years, maybe some are still alive."

"I'll take the Zeltron." Atton offered, glancing at Bao-Dur. "You take the Devaronian."

"Sounds good." Meetra smirked. "Atton, can I have a private minute with Bao-Dur?"

"Sure." Atton nodded but held his place a moment longer, settling a tender smile. "Take care Surik. See you when you get back."

Meetra nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, see you Rand."

With that, a last smile, Atton turned and returned to the Enclave. Meetra watched him go, her heart pained by each step he took in walking away. Swallowing with some difficulty, she raised her eyes to Bao-Dur's kind grey ones and forced another smile.

"Well, this is it." She murmured. "T3 is eager to get going."

Bao-Dur nodded. He understood.

Meetra reached into her pouch and pulled out a datapad, which he handed to him. Then, raising her eyes to his she exhaled a rush of emotion that welled up into her eyes.

"This is in case I don't come back." She told him quietly. "A list of things that need to be completed, a summary of my conversations with Revan… what he asked me to do… and some personal messages."

Bao-Dur nodded. "You are sure about this? That you must go alone?"

"You all have a much more important task ahead of you then following me to the edge of the galaxy." Meetra remarked solemnly. "Besides, I could never ask you to do it."

"You don't need to. You never have."

Meetra reached up and laid her hand on Bao-Dur's cheek, smiling with gratitude, then dropping her hand she stepped back and raised her chin.

"Take care of yourself Bao-Dur."

"And you Meetra. It was an honour serving with you." He murmured quietly. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you."

Meetra bowed her head ever so slightly then turned and walked up into the Hawk. Turning her back on Dantooine for the last time. Never again would she return to it's soil. Never again would she speak with her companions. She was giving up everything she had fought to build. She was leaving behind everything she had amassed to go after one thing she had lost, long ago.


	14. Chapter 14

**Epilogue****: The Man in The Mask **

I followed close behind Scourge, silently, still unsure if I had forged a trustworthy alliance or not. It did not seem like I had much of a choice now, however, since the entire complex was masked in a blood bath of chaotic battle with little evidence of ending soon. Something that seemed all too familiar to me. I grew up in the arms of war, I knew it's tells. Things were moving fast now, we had to find Revan and escape before we were found out or we would not stand much of a chance. Even with Scourge as an ally I knew we would not prevail against a Sith such as Darth Nyriss, let alone the Emperor who would most definitely categorize us as enemies.

The Emperor's forces were everywhere but we managed to evade them and slip into the detention area relatively unnoticed. Scourge had told me Revan had been housed here since his capture but I wished he was mistaken the moment we entered. Devices that made the interrogation chambers on Korriban look like mere child's play lined the walls of several large cells close to the door. Crude devices hung on hooks and what I could only image was authentic Sith holocrons filled several shelves. These, I could only guess, dictated effective ways of extracting information or… if that didn't work, inflicting pain.

A shudder threatened to swamp me as my eyes washed over them but I refused the pleasure of expressing my humanity. There was no time.

Scourge was ahead of me, a yard or so, quickly searching the cells. There was not many with occupants. I opened my mouth to ask where they all were when he stopped and furiously worked the door's shield control. My heart leapt into my throat as I rallied my strength and ran to him.

As I neared the sound of his voice assailed my ears, causing gratitude to well up inside me.

"Scourge. What the hell is going on?"

Revan glared at Scourge, his green eyes flashing with a hardness I had not seen in years. He looked harder then the man I remembered but I didn't care about the sharper angles in his face or the tired wrinkles around his eyes. It was Revan and as I came to a short stop by Scourge's side I drew his attention at once.

"Revan." My voice sounded weak as emotion threatened to take hold of me but Revan hardly seemed to notice.

"Meetra?" He narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing I was real.

Unable to help myself I flashed him a smile and stepped forward. Wrapping our arms around each other we embraced, squeezing each other tight. I clung to him, and for those few seconds I did not care where I was or what was going on. I closed my fist around the old tunic that covered his back and breathed deeply for the first time in years.

Revan's hand cradled my head as the other easily encircled my waist. I could feel the uncertainty in his mind melt away as he held onto me. He no longer believed I was a figment of his imagination as he had several seconds ago but unfortunately that was only replaced by a gut wrenching disappointment.

When we released each other I quickly unlatched by second lightsaber from my belt and pushed it into his hands, knowing we were certain to be found out any moment.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed in my ear, taking the weapon but not looking at it.

I ignored his question with some disappointment of my own as I gave him a quick glance. _Why are you asking? You knew I'd come. So did Scourge apparently. _

Revan did not venture a reply but his guilt like disappointment did not vanish from his face, so I merely ignored it.

"Are you alright, can you fight? They'll be here any moment."

"Of course I can fight." Revan replied sternly as he squared his shoulders.

"Good." I answered, my gratitude for seeing him again once again overtaking me I flashed him a smile.

Noticing this, Revan could not refuse to mirror it.

"What?" He demanded, his green eyes flashing with defiance as they did every time I hazarded an amused comment which threatened his pride.

"Nothing."

I dropped my eyes and checked the effects on my belt, but could not wipe the smile off my face. It was fueled by pleasure, seeing him again, more then anything but he didn't need me to point out the obvious.

Scourge stepped back into view outside the cell door and looked at the two of us. "I suggest you chose your ground. We will not make our escape from this section before they reach us."

"How long do we have?" I asked urgently, checking the power supply on my saber. _50%, not ideal. _Revan's had the most power.

"Minutes, if we are fortunate."

Scourge took his own saber in hand and damaged the lock to this cell and the one opposite us, so that they could not be closed, giving us a good ten by twenty foot area of open space should we need it.

I could sense the calm before the storm now, giving me ample encouragement to ready myself for the coming battle when I remembered something that might be vital to our surviving the next half hour, if not more.

Turning to Revan, I pulled his mask out of it's uncomfortable home between my armour's chest piece and my tight fitting catsuit beneath. It was the mask Bastila had given me, the mask that had made Revan the man he was. Without a word I held it out to him, a gesture I hoped he would read with understanding.

We needed him now. We needed _Revan_. I didn't care if we got the boy from the plains of Dantooine, the Revanchist or Darth Revan… we just needed whatever he could give us.

Revan took the mask from my hands as a bittersweet kind of smile curved upon his lips. No doubt he was thinking of a past he wished to remember but he didn't meditate on it long before he raised the mask to his face and secured it in place.

The moment he did, Revan staggered on his feet then dropped to his knees. I moved quickly to his side, distressed I might have chosen wrong in giving it to him. Worried I might have hurt him in my attempts to try and free him from his restraints as Bastila had instructed me.

"Revan? Revan!" I cried but other then a shallow metallic kind of breathing, he made no sound. I continued to urge him to speak. "Revan! Are you alright?"

Revan's masked head rose and turned to me. His expressionless gaze held mine. I knew he was looking straight at me, I had experienced much of such looks during the war that enabled me not to be unnerved by it. My chest rose and fell rapidly, anxiety and adrenaline coursing through my veins.

"Revan?" I whispered.

Without warning he collapsed at my side. I urgently tried to help him. Trying to assess what had just happened and if he was alright but it was that moment that the detention area doors were thrown open by a powerful force.

"Exile!" Scourge yelled at me, completely ignoring Revan laying at my feet. "Draw your weapon."

Shakily I stood, knowing it was now my duty to protect Revan. I knew he was alive, I could still feel him and sense his power but he did not move. He was vulnerable so I would need to protect him until he regained consciousness.

"Revan's out." I told Scourge as I glanced up the dim corridor linking us to the entrance of the detention area. I could see Nyriss standing in the entrance now, her red eyes cutting through the darkness and carnage of the door she had just destroyed as if it were nothing. "We have to protect him."

"We take her together." Scourge advised firmly.

I nodded and switched on my saber.

Darth Nyriss laid the usual threats as she slowly advanced towards us. Claiming she would kill us all, despite her only real desire to kill Revan. I refused her that pleasure, of course, and hardly a second later Scourge joined me.

She was a true Lord of the Sith though, so we were little match for her. Even after defeating Sion, Nhils and Kreia… I was hopelessly out of my league. Even Scourge was narrowly deflecting her blows and quick reflexes. It didn't take long for us to begin to feel the strain and Darth Nyriss preyed on that. She mocked us with our limitations. She used more combinations of Force powers and her command of her saber then before.

With an easy flick of her wrist, Darth Nyriss threw Scourge across the room and pinned him there with her command of the Force as she turned her attention on me. I was only just recovering from a well executed slash of her saber, which had seared through my battle armour and burnt through almost half an inch of the flesh across my abdomen, when she focused on me again. I winced as I tried to stand upright, knowing for certain I could not fight well enough to survive having a new cauterized wound twelve inches in length stretched across my midriff.

I forced myself to stand regardless. I had told myself I would protect Revan to my death on this mission and I fully intended to follow through on that pledge. I watched as Darth Nyriss raised her palm in my direction and electricity crackle between her fingertips before reaching out towards me. I braced myself, weakly holding up my saber to catch the brunt of it. I succeeded in deflecting it, but just barely.

Darth Nyriss did not wait for me to recover from her assault before he launched another. This time I knew I could not deflect it. I felt the energy slowly creep over my skin, shocking me, but before it spread to all my extremities it stopped. As I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Darth Nyriss laying still on the floor several feet from me.

In the distance Scourge was getting to his feet, and off to my right… stood Revan. I clutched the wound on my stomach and struggled for breath as he turned a slow 45 degrees and met my gaze through his dark mask.

"Thanks." I murmured, still quite winded by both my wound and the battle we'd just been a part of.

"We should move." He replied, his voice both calm and determined.

Without moving an inch, Revan extended his hand towards Nyriss' still form and drew her saber to him. Once it lay in his hand, he clipped the saber I'd given him onto his belt and then placed hers next to it. Part of me wanted to remind him he'd need those before we got out of here but I did not. Each of the movements he made seemed to have a flawless purpose. Maybe I'd need my saber but that didn't mean he'd need his.

Tearing my eyes away from the figure I had known so long ago I glanced across at Scourge as he approached. He too had minor wounds but he seemed to deal with them better then I was dealing with my own. So, forcing myself to put the pain out of my mind, I injected a survival kit into my thigh and forced myself to stand to my full height.

Cutting my eyes to Revan once more I nodded. _Ready to go_.

* * *

: END OF AN EXILE :


End file.
